


We're In This Together

by Seulrene_4_Life



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Billionaire, CEO, F/F, Irene - Freeform, Love, Romance, Seulrene, Violence, Wendy - Freeform, joy, seulgi - Freeform, seulreneau, yeri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:34:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 45,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29818812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seulrene_4_Life/pseuds/Seulrene_4_Life
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Kang Seulgi, Park Sooyoung | Joy/Son Seungwan | Wendy
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17





	1. Stalker Slash Savior

For two weeks, the table for two booth with the best view on outside, coziest seat, and the closest to the door has been occupied by none other than Kang Seulgi, the sole heiress and future president of the billion-dollar Kang Trading Industries.

What she is doing in this old, dirty, and almost run down diner is beyond everyone's knowledge.

Perhaps it's another story to tell for another day.

Right now, she is in dire need of breakfast. 

As if on cue, her favorite waitress came striding along, with a pen and pad, the smile on her face revolting Seulgi, but not in a way because it was ugly-looking, no, because the woman is actually very pretty, but rather it is fake.

"You're here earlier than the usual aren't you, Miss Kang?" the waitress queried, smile still not faltering.

"Good morning to you too, Irene and yes, traffic is bothersome the more it gets late, I don't want to have my breakfast in a bad mood." Seulgi smiled.

"I wish I could say that I feel you, but I only walk to and fro."

"Ah yes, are you perhaps one of those environmentalists?" Seulgi slipped in a bit of humor to which made the pretty waitress laugh.

It is still fake though.

"If I am, then I'm sure I belong with the broke ones." She said, "Now, are you ready to take your order?"

Seulgi raised a finger to her chin for a mock pondering, but Irene rolled her eyes in amusement, her fake smile seemingly slipping away a bit before it was schooled again.

"You have been doing that for quiet a while now, but you always order the same thing, am I right?"

Seulgi chuckled.

"You got me. The usual, please." She politely requested before Irene nodded and walked away to get her food.

The waitress can feel the burning stare on her back, a feeling she had for the past two weeks, starting from when the rich woman walked inside the diner for the first time.

"Pancakes, hashbrowns, sunny side ups, bacon and a hot chocolate for table 12," She said to the chef before heading back outside to take more orders and clean some tables.

Seriously, it's a waitress' job to clean the tables but can they eat a lot less like pigs?

The heiress had been watching her for two weeks now. 

She could see how the customers took advantage of their position, shooting the lady with repulsive eyes full of lust, hands "accidentally" going to places where they should not be, and even sometimes purposely making the drinks spill or the food fall on the floor for Irene to pick up, them having the time of their lives as they were granted a peek inside her uniform's blouse as the waitress bends to clean.

All of this were unfortunately not aknowledged by Irene, ignoring the leering on her as if she was some meat and they are wolves starved for days. Nothing she says will have the owner on her side anyway, because she is a mere replaceable waitress against their regular customers.

Her job, no matter how shitty it is, pays her bills.

Seulgi really fucking hates the "Customers are always right" mentality. Maybe, it will be more right to pull back a fist and pummel it into their ugly faces.

Unfortunately, Seulgi is not only known for her status, she also has a reputation to keep. She can't just do those things without tarnishing her and the whole company's name but oh, how she wishes to.

Therefore, she concluded to herself why she goes to this cheap diner, when she can afford the most luxurious things in life, is because of the pretty but sad looking waitress.

Greasy breakfast is kinda good too.

Oh, and did Seulgi mention the bruises she had found when Irene's sleeve slipped a bit higher?

Maybe that's her biggest mystery yet.

And she's dying to know the story behind them.

• • • 

A whine resonated around the room, as Seulgi in all her pajama glory plopped onto her huge fluffy bed, phone pressed to her ear.

”My father surely is not that stupid, Wannie.” 

The sigh on the other line was not unheard.

”He’s kind of a very uptight man, but you know this might mean... well?”

The answer did not sound too convincing, for it sounded more like a question.

”Mean well?! He is setting me up for marriage, Wan! Is this because I’m gay?!”

Then she pondered, because she is in the closet, not yet out to the public except Seungwan, her bestest friend, and she did not exactly act the way a man should, so her father who is not even close to his daughter, is far from having even a clue that his only child is into women.

”Well, you did not give yourself away to him, did you?”

”Of course not.” Seulgi scoffed, “Apparently, he hates homosexuals, so I have a feeling that it might be just that.” 

“Glad he’s out of your hair now, aren’t you?”

”He is not!” Seulgi yelled over the phone, she can imagine Seungwan holding it as far away from her poor ear as possible.

She composed herself, “Well, not unless I get the damn company then he should finally rest in peace.” 

“Uh-huh,” Seungwan off-mindedly answered.

Seulgi needs to find a solution on how to make things go her way, and quick.

”What does his last will say?” She asked again.

Did she forget to tell you that Seungwan is a lawyer?

”Why are you making me go through that darned paper again?” Seungwan groaned but went to shuffle and get her copy of the will anyway.

”Because I said so, now read that part again where I have to get imprisoned for life.” 

“Ironic for you to compare imprisonment to marriage.” The lawyer chuckled lightly, “It says here,”To my only child Kang Seulgi, who is now of age fit to lead, I give her the full reign and ownership of my company for she is trustworthy, hardworking, and deserving. This shall happen once she gets married for life, a spouse is someone and all what she needs by her side through thick and thin.” geez, for someone who hates this will, you surely love repeating it a lot.” 

Seulgi was still silent, looking for a way to get rid of this marriage, but her father’s words are absolute and cannot be taken lightly. She is not even attracted to men, for lesbian Jesus’ sake!

”Wait a minute.” She mumbled to herself, upon realizing something, “Wan, can you repeat it?” 

“No fuck off, you go read it you lazy wo—“

”Just the last part, please?”

Seungwan sighed in defeat.

”This shall happen once she gets married for life—“

Seulgi abruptly cut her off again, this time a glimmer of hope twinkling in her eyes.

”—a spouse is someone and all what she needs by her side through thick and thin!” She finished, “Oh my god Wan, you’re a genius!”

”Of course I am, I’m on the top of our class, duh.”

”That’s not what I meant Miss Top-of-our-class!” She mimicked obnoxiously.

”What then?”

”Don’t you understand?! It says spouse and someone! Spouse and someone! It’s not specified whether it should be a man or a woman!“ She almost bounced off of the bed in excitement, “Which means I don’t have to be married to a man!”

”Oh my, you’re right!” 

The mutual scream had been defeaning before it died down.

”Hold up!”

”What?” 

“But you’re still getting married nonetheless, to a woman for sure because that’s the way you swing to.”

Seulgi is now back to square one, now deeply troubled over who she should marry to get the full control over the company.

She can’t pick anyone now, can she? A marriage is for life, and divorce is not an option if it goes downhill, so she needs someone who is actually tolerable.

Someone who is not a gold digger or someone I might genuinelly fall in love with.

Romance is not yet dead, right?

But then again, for some unknown reason, this marriage that her father concocted might be a part of his evil plans that Seulgi has a hunch he has but she knew nothing of.

”Oh shit, you’re right.” She bit her lip, pulling her hair in frustration.

”Glad that he at least gave you the right of choice and not marrying you off to some business tycoon who will surely take over your company once he gets his hands on it.” Seungwan said, which is right.

As much as she hated her father with a burning passion, he was once a good man, always a hand to help others, and she can’t let anyone touch the empire he built from the ground up.

”Yeah...” Seulgi answered offhandedly, feeling hopeless.

“I gotta go Wannie, something came up.” She lied before cutting the call without waiting for a response and then tossed her phone somewhere she is not sure.

Eh, she’ll find it later anyway.

She closed her eyes, exhaustion overtaking her as she tried to ignore the fact that it was the pretty waitress in the dirty diner who made it to her mind first upon trying to think of the perfect candidate she could at least trust and marry.

• • •

Adjusting her thick and old sweater, Irene stepped on a small chair to reach the metal barricades to close the diner for the day, as she had to cover for one of the waitresses' night shift.

After doing so, she dusted off her hands and began the trudge way back home.

Psh, as if you can call that rundown and old building a home.

Once again, she adjusted her jacket as the cold October air sweeped through the streets, making her shiver. Though the mentioned trembling of her bones were not due to the cold. 

It was the feeling of being on a 24/7 survellaince, the feeling of being watched upon (although the streets are already empty) and the feeling of being followed.

Her cunning sixth sense will never lie to her. 

It might be a burglar, or a stalker but regardless, she has nothing to offer.

If only he was not a gambling drunk.

Speaking of him, she clutched the bag of the left over chicken for her drunkard of a father. How she got into this situation, you ask?

A young Bae Joohyun, raised by her father alone, Bae Jin Seo who was once a very hardworking accountant, lost her mother. 

Not to death, no.

She lost her mother barely at the age of six, after a very nasty fight between the two, causing her mother to run away. The event was now nothing but a vivid memory to her, she can't even remember how her mother looked like. 

Trauma really does destroy.

It's also a shame she can't remember about anything concerning her mother, not even her name. Irene has no contact with her, leaving her at times wondering if she is still alive or not, if she is now happy and has a family of her own, she'll never know.

And to be frank, she hated her mother for leaving her alone with her father without as much of an explanation. 

Maybe, it was partly her father's fault as to why. The man was so driven into forgetting his runaway wife that he resulted into brainwashing his only daughter and painting himself as the victim.

He made sure to wipe away any trace of her from the house, as if no one had lived there with them, just the father and daughter. Although, not long after, they moved to Seoul, reasoning to his daughter that a job awaits him.

It was actually drugs.

Back to reality, she can now see the fading red roof of the apartment, the creepy feeling still not fading away.

She entered the house and then bend down to remove her shoes. The girl was not even halfway through the hallway when a bottle of beer suddenly was thrown towards her direction, as she narrowly dodged it.

The bottle hit the wall a feet away from her back, the defeaning shattering of glass making her cover her ears from fright.

"Why the fuck are you so late!?" 

Oh great, he's drunk again. 

Yay.

"I was on the night shift." She said back quietly.

"What a useless daughter you are for letting her father starve!" Jin Seo yelled out before snatching the bag away from her.

Irene does not know what came to her and or when she grew her own fucking balls, but she answered anyway.

"And you're a useless father for letting your daughter work herself off to feed your sorry ass!" 

She cursed herself for being so stupid.

A flash of fury went through his dark eyes, "You're going against me now, huh!? What, you're going to be like your mother and fight me!?"

"So what!? It was probably your fault why she left, I mean look at your pathetic life!" She gestured to their surroundings.

Old, dirty wallpapers, worn out couches, dusty floor, stinky carpets and some food all over the once polished wood.

Her father growled before he took huge strides towards her, Irene frozen from stark fear.

"Wai—!" She can't even finish her plea when his hand shot out to grab her hair.

"Let's see who's pathetic!" He seethed and then drew back his free hand only for it to meet her cheek in a slap.

It was so strong that she actually felt her lower lip split open, the force of the slap made her fall to the ground, but not even a second went by, she was pulled to her feet, before her back hit the wall and making her groan out in pain. 

Said groan was cut off the same time her air supply has been cut, his hands now on her neck, determined to really render her unconscious.

Or maybe, dead.

Her father had never went to this point. She would get the occasional slap her and there, or the hair grabbing, and sometimes a punch to the gut.

Nevertheless, as much as her life is shitty, she does not want to leave the world this way.

So she fought, trying to reach his face contorted in anger, but to no avail so she opted to kick his legs and scratch his arms.

Fuck, please no. I'm not going down this way!

But she is only human. Black dots are now swimming around her vision, each attack she retaliated to the man choking her are weakening by the second until they fell lifelessly around her sides.

Help!

Was all she could manage although mentally.

Suddenly, her father was unceremoniously ripped away from her and then she fell on the floor, gasping and coughing as she inhaled as much oxygen as she can greedily. 

There, kneeling in front of her was her favorite customer.

Kang Seulgi.

And she looked so scary, murder clear in her monolid eyes.

Since her senses are not quite functional, she cannot hear what the woman was asking. 

But eh, atleast she has someone now.

She did not reply, but faintly heard the curse yelled out by the angry woman as she stood up to face her father who was sluggishly trying to stand up.

Irene can make out the movements the woman made with a blurry gaze, as her right hand dug into her coat before it revealed itself again with an accessory.

Brass knuckles.

Oh shit, is she some street fighter or something?

Irene can no longer go on, so she promptly passed out.

It was safer for her to not witness whatever Seulgi is about to do anyway.

• • • 

"Vitals are okay, her bruises had been almost healed, and her lip cut now close." The doctor concluded to Seulgi, who was in front of the sleeping woman, her lips set into a straight line and her arms crossed.

The silent fury in her eyes intimidated the doctor who was by the way, a couple inches taller than her but said nothing.

"From what you said, everything's fine physically." She said, "So why is she still not awake? It has been three days!"

The doctor flinched but answered calmly, "Like what you said, she's about ninety percent healed up, physically. Her emotional and mental health, however are a different story, and those are what's keeping her from gaining consciousness. This is not in my field but all I know is that the patient might have gone through a severe trauma for her brain to shut her body down to protect it. We did our best, everything's now up to her." 

Seulgi absorbed the information in, and nodded in understanding.

"So you can watch over her without my assistance. Please do call me if something comes up or if she wakes up."

The brunette said then held out her hand, to which the doctor shook politely, "Thank you, Doctor Song." 

"Always in your service, Miss Kang." The doctor nodded before making her way towards the door leading outside.

Seulgi gazed at the unconscious woman's pale face calmly, but deep down inside, she's aching to kill the man who did this to her.

Had she been a second late, Irene would be meeting her early grave.

She had been following the woman to her tiny home, deciding against driving but opted to walk so as to not garner attention, right after she closes up the diner, leaving only when the waitress is safely behind the doors.

At first, Seulgi thought the bruises were from a minor accident but upon having a closer look, she did find it was from an assaulted injury. 

So, call her a stalker and names, she could not find a way to protect the woman, thinking there might be some people on the street messing with her. Approaching the woman she barely knew and confronting her about the bruises would certainly send her away.

To her disbelief, the waitress who was supposed to be safe in her own home, turned out to be earning the bruises from her own father.

That sick bastard.

Seulgi was still not able to do any legal action against the abuse, too busy watching over the injured and deathly pale woman she found pressed against the wall.

▪ ▪ ▪

Three days ago

Seulgi pondered over the fact why the streets seemed to be empty at night, so she can't exactly tell where the discolored skin of Irene came from.

Standing across the street (in a secluded area, of course) from her home, she watched as the door closed behind the waitress. Seemingly satisfied that she is now safely inside, she began the half a mile-long walk back to her car.

However, before she could take a step further away, the telltale noise of glass breaking into a million pieces made its way to her ear.

Could it be...

She cannot finish her train of thoughts. Turning on her heels, she sprinted towards the door, a hand raised into a fist, about to knock, but the sound of screaming and bantering drowned the rapping of her knuckles on the wood.

Then, she heard the faint noise of something slamming to a wall, the voice of Irene suddenly now quiet.

Seulgi panicked, so she acted first on impulse.

She kicked the door down in one solid kick, the hinges giving up as she quickly made her way to the living room, which she found to reek of alcohol.

To her horror, she found Irene on the wall, trying to escape the deadly grip of who Seulgi assumed her father. Her eyes bloodshot, face pale, and her lips...

Goddamit, her lips are bleeding!

Wasting no time, she took quick steps and grabbed his shoulder with one hand and then shoved her body to his side with all her might, knocking the man on the floor. Thanks to the alcohol it had been fairly easy.

She kneeled before the waitress.

"Irene! Can you hear me?" She called out to the woman gently who did not respond, her eyes clouded over in a haze.

"It's okay, I'm here now all right?" Seulgi said again, then inspected her form for two seconds.

Her hair messy, as if it was pulled, her right cheek swollen from what Seulgi can predict, a slap and her lower lips torn open and bleeding.

"Fuck!" She bellowed, standing to her feet.

Everything she is seeing is now blood red. Sanity left her, anger and vengeance coursing through her veins. This sad, pathetic excuse of a man deserves a punishment.

Digging into her coat pocket, she slipped her hand into the brass knuckles she brought with her just in case something bad happens to Irene.

Ha, ironic how she needed to use this on Irene's own father.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing here!?" 

Seulgi scoffed.

"Here I thought your daughter is safe when she's at home," She walked closer to him, right hand into a fist, "But I was wrong, so wrong." She spat.

"Whatever my daughter and I are doing is none of your business, you bitch!" He replied and spat on her coat for good measure, but this only served to triple Seulgi's fury.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

"It is now—" She was not able to finish when he swung at her, but he was too slow as Seulgi dodged and retaliated a practiced and proper punch of her own.

The metal collided with his face painfully as he howled in agony, clutching his swollen cheek, the impact tore his skin open and made him take a few steps back.

"—since what I witnessed is domestic abuse, and we both know that is a crime punishable by law." She growled before raising her right leg to give him a forty-five degree kick, sending him on his ass again.

"I also have several connections which can easily send you straight to jail."

This time, after Jin Seo recovered enough to stand, he was able to get a punch in, making Seulgi grunt. She sent an uppercut as a counter attack.

"But maybe I don't need them. It won't take much for the police to find out about the abuse your daughter is going through and oh—" She picked up a packet of what seemed like powdered cocaine.

"—lookie here! This is too easy." She chuckled evilly, the man now shit scared of her.

"Who the hell are you!?"

"Like what you said, it's not your business." Seulgi remarked before she cornered him, "I can actually kill you right now, but that would be an easy escape for you wouldn't it?"

"Although I can rough you up just a teeny tiny bit." She squeezed her thumb and forefinger.

Jin Seo's eyes widened before a solid jab made its way to his stomach, but it did not stop there. Punches and kicks were sent his way aggressively until he was all beaten up black and blue, nose crooked, a few ribs fractured and his eyes closed because they were now too swollen.

Seulgi threw the brass knuckles away, as she went to carry the unconscious woman back to her car bridal style.

▪ ▪ ▪

She made a few calls after that, first with a team of the best doctors, then her housekeeper, Miss Kim to prepare the bedroom across hers - she can't take the unconscious waitress to the hospital, it would be far too risky for her if she catches the attention of the media - and finally, some friends she made during her rebellious years to take care of and clean up the mess she left and now Irene's father is on hospital arrest.

There's no way she's letting him escape this.

A knock on the door resounded and she suspected it was Seungwan.

"Come in." She called out.

Sure enough, in Seungwan came with folders in her hands. She handed them to Seulgi.

"Did what you asked for, so here they are. This folder," She pointed to the smaller of the two, "Contains the papers you will be signing up along with Miss Bae to file for a case... and this one contains everything that I gathered up about your pretty girlfriend since she was young."

Seulgi nodded, ignoring the "girlfriend" comment and opened the second mentioned folder.

Birth name: Bae Joo Hyun

Birth date: March 29, 1994

So she's twenty six now, about two years older than Seulgi is.

Status: Single

Mother: Bae So Ra

Status: Unknown (Presumed deceased)

Father: Bae Jin Seo

Status: Alive

She read further over the first paper until her eyes widened, realizing that this really did contain each and every personal detail regarding the waitress.

"How did you get this?" She turned to Wendy, curiously confused.

"Chanyeol, one of my best hackers." Wendy shrugged.

"I can't read this, thank you though." She sighed, returning the papers into the folder.

"Why not? Every question you have are answered by those papers."

"Because I would be prying into her private life and I already had done too much of that before," Seulgi sighed, recalling how she had been nosily stalking Irene, "I want to hear them from her when she's ready enough to tell me." 

Seungwan raised a brow, "You speak as if she's going to stay with you long enough for her to trust you."

"Because she is."

The knowing glint in her bestfriend's eyes made her groan.

"W-well unless she wants to..." She scratched her nape.

"What happened anyway?"

The question made Seulgi stiffen and bristled. 

"Her bastard of a father is beating her up, but I still don't know how long though, and I just came in time to save her from it. Seeing her so vulnerable and so... so helpless made me so angry I failed to restrain myself." Seulgi said.

"Now, what did you do Seulgi?" Seungwan crossed her arms.

"I might have caused him a good deal of damage that will take him weeks, maybe even months, to heal." Seulgi answered in a small voice.

"Are you sure you are not going back to the way you were before?"

"No! God, no." Seulgi shook her head vigorously, "What's in the past shall stay in the past." She finished.

"Whatever you say, superhero." Seungwan joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Make yourself useful," A fake gasp of idignation made its way out the lawyer's lips, "And throw this away will you? Burn them or use my paper shredder I don't care, I just want this out of my sight." Seulgi quipped as she handed the folder of Irene's very, very detailed life story.

"Sure, Miss stalker in shining armor," She rolled her eyes and then snatched it away, nodding in signal to leave.

Seulgi is now left alone with Irene again.

So many questions are bugging her mind right now.

What drove her father to be that way?

Why did Irene stay with him despite his actions?

Where is her mother?

And so many more, but she might or might not know the answers to these questions. For now, she had to focus into waiting for Irene to wake up and make sure to never let her go back to that hell hole.

For starters, she will try with all her power to convince the waitress into staying here, in her penthouse suite to keep her close.

Then, if Irene allows her so, she can help her look for a stable job. At her age, most people should have already gotten a good job with a good amount of money enough for them to live on their own. The question about her education background suddenly made Seulgi wonder but she pushed the thought away quickly.

Oh, wait.

Her stuff were left in her old home.

As if she will let Irene step foot into that foul smelling apartment again, no.

She’ll pay for whatever Irene needs, she can afford it a hundred times more anyway.

• • •

A serene silence is what greeted Irene the first time she opened her eyes. After adjusting to the light, she took in her surroundings. White walls, a huge plasma screen in front of the bed, a desk on the side, and two doors beside each other, she can assume one of those leads to the bathroom and the other maybe a walk-in closet.

She did a once-over on her own form as much as she can, given her situation. She found a needle in her right hand, which connected to an IV drip. Her attire consisted of some warm and comy pajama pants and an oversized shirt.

The place is very unfamiliar to the woman as she tried to sit, only for her body to give up. 

“Oh my, you’re awake! Give me a second sweetie, I need to call Seulgi up.” An unfamiliar woman beside her said, whom she did not notice while looking around.

Wait? Seulgi?

The lady who left the room came bursting in again minutes later, this time the mentioned woman in tow, dressed in casual shirt and jeans.

The heiress quickly made her way to the bedridden woman, “Hey, how are you?”

“Miss Kang?” Irene croaked out, unbelieving that she saw her favorite customer.

”The one and only.” Seulgi grinned and then propped her up in a sitting position, giving her a cup of water after. Then, Seulgi sat on the side of the bed, about an arm’s length away from her.

”Let me ask again, how are you feeling?”

”I feel fine.” Irene replied, “But where are we?”

”In my home.” Seulgi answered.

”But why am I here?” 

Seulgi froze for a solid second.

”You don’t remember?”

Irene shook her head.

”You were out for four days, Irene.”

Oh.

”Oh,” She mumbled out.

”It’s all right, as long as you’re awake and okay now.” Seulgi assured, “Hungry?”

As if on cue, her stomach rumbled embarrassingly loud, making her blush.

Seulgi chuckled at this, “How do pancakes sound?” 

Irene smiled, “Sounds lovely.”

”Any flavor of syrup you prefer?” 

“Um... strawberry?” 

Seulgi gestured for the housekeeper to go and fetch the requested food. 

Once they received the promised pancakes, Miss Kim made herself scarce to give privacy to the two women. 

“You did not quiet answer my question before, Miss Kang.” Irene said as she shoved a forkful of fluffy pancakes into her mouth.

”You don’t really remember do you?”

She shrugged, earning her a sigh from Seulgi.

“Your father he...” Seulgi paused, clearing her throat, “Look, I saw him about to choke the life out of you, so I kind of beat him up?” 

Irene was silent. 

Everything came flooding back in, the constant feeling being followed, her back and forth banter with her father and finally the memory of her life flashing before her eyes as she thrashed around trying to escape her father’s hold.

The heiress watched each expression cycle their way through the waitress’ face until it became blank.

”Where is he now?”

”In a hospital arrest.”

Irene shrugged, playing with her food now.

”Hm, I’ll go back to our house anyway.”

”Absolutely not!” 

The outburst startled her, as she stared at the fuming Seulgi.

”Look, I can’t and will not let you go back to that place, ever.” 

“But I don’t have anywhere to live.”

”Then stay.” 

“What?” 

“You heard me? Stay.” 

“You don’t seem to understand that we barely know each other, Miss Kang and you already did so much for me.”

”It will be great then, we’ll get to know each other.”

”How do I know that you have no hidden motive or that you actually kidnapped me and brainwashed me?”

”Are you really serious right now Irene?”

”Dead serious.”

The Seulgi bursted out laughing, clutching her stomach in then slapped her knee.

”You really think I will kidnap you?” She wiped a fake tear from the corner of her eye, “Stalking, I did but kidnapping, no.”

Wait a minute. 

Hold up.

Chotto matte kudasai!

”Were you the one who had been stalking me for the past few weeks!?”

Holy shit, Seulgi gave herself away.

What an idiot.

”I- no! I mean, yes but not in the way you think it is! I followed you just to make sure you will reach home safely, I promise!” Seulgi held her hands up in surrender.

Irene glared at her, but the look quickly evaporated and softened.

It was Seulgi who saved her from her father and it was also Seulgi who made sure she gets the medical attention she needed. Despite the fact that they barely knew each other, with their employee to customer relationship, the taller woman had been unreasonably selfess.

”It’s fine if it’s you I guess... You did save me from danger.” She assured, “I just can’t think of a way on how to repay you ‘cause last time I checked, I did tell you that I am broke as a bad joke.” She grumbled.

"Marry me then." 

A minute passed, Irene still looked at Seulgi as if she had grown a second head, before breaking out into a loud, unfiltered laughter.

"Now that, is a bad joke.”

The indcredulous but serious look was what she got in reply, making her laugh turn nervous.

"I'm certain that I can pull off a good prank, but not today."

Oh fuck.


	2. Rules Are Rules

"Irene! Milkshakes for table 2 and burgers and fries for table 7!" The waitress heard the chef as she placed a round of orders on another table.

"On it!" She replied and rushed to retrieve them.

It had been fairly three days - and a full week after the incident - since she woke up from what Seulgi called a "mini coma" and two days since then, she is back to waiting tables.

Although it took a lot of arguments before Seulgi reluctantly let her go back to work, fussing like an overprotective mother hen. It was a very difficult decision in choosing whether to live with Seulgi or not, but the heiress did prove herself to be someone she could truly trust.

Not allowing her to go back to her previous home, Seulgi volunteered to get her abandoned belongings and called for a team of people she can trust to move the stuff with extra care. 

In such a short time, Irene became Seulgi's reluctant housemate.

Not that she has much to complain about though, as Seulgi had been very accommodating and kind to her, though she was already in the waitress' good graces ever since she stepped foot into the diner weeks ago. The heiress had been extra kinder now, making sure to give Irene her personal space (she took up temporary residence on the room where she woke up from, which is across Seulgi's) and made her feel like home. She even personally helped into decorating the room much to Irene's horror.

▪ ▪ ▪

"Seulgi please, you have already done more than enough for me."

"Nonsense, Irene. I love being a helping hand. Now, where would you want me to hang this painting?"

The question has an underlying meaning that she is not open for debate.

▪ ▪ ▪

Ever since Irene lived with Seulgi, she had to admit she slept better because it was quite, no noises of busy roads, the heaters worked great during cold nights, she had delicious meals cooked by Miss Kim Taeyeon who she found out is actually with Seulgi ever since she was a young girl (she insisted she helped in cooking though, Irene is used to serving the food, not being on the receiving end) and her favorite thing about living with Seulgi is the laundry room.

She can't exactly suppress her joy over seeing the laundry machines and the different kinds of fabric softeners in a nearby closet, so she volunteered into helping Miss Kim whenever it is laundry day, not wanting to miss the opportunity of trying each bottle inside that glorious closet of what she claimed Seulgi's treasure.

Not to mention, her unplanned moving in with the taller woman had felt dauntingly natural. Seulgi for most days had been out early in the morning and goes back just in time for dinner, having a light conversation over their meals. The heiress even offered to let her have full reign over what should happen in the suite - jokingly adding that it needs decorations - but Irene quickly declined.

She cannot let herself get used to this luxurious life. For all she knows, she wanted to be let out of the hair of Seulgi who had been so far very kind and never showed signs of wanting Irene to leave.

Although, there are still issues she is yet to resolve.

The marriage proposal.

▪ ▪ ▪ 

"I'm sorry, I think I heard wrong." Confusion is written all over her face.

"No, you did not. I'm asking you to marry me to "repay" the things I did for you."

This is all too much, Irene thought, she only woke up and this conversation took a crazy turn.

"Marry you? Are you crazy!? How much do I owe you anyway!? Just give me time and I'll pay it back cent by cent!" She tried to maneuver herself to stand up, but Seulgi refrained her from doing so, as her body is not yet ready for the exertion.

"Wait! Oh god, I'm so sorry I did not mean to say it this way, it’s just I felt nervous! And you can back out if you don't want to!” Seulgi said, her hands on Irene’s shoulders, ready to give her a light push if needed, “I do have a reason, are you willing to listen to me?” 

“Please do, because I'm pretty sure my head is still intact, working properly and I did not hear wrong."

"Um... so how do I start this?"

"From the beginning."

"Right, yes..." Seulgi cleared her throat, and then ran her sweaty hands on her shirt.

"Kang Trading Industries is one of the legacies my father left, I'm sure you know it?" 

Of course she does, Irene knew very well about the company and how it made its way to the headlines months prior, informing the death of its CEO and owner, Kang Rowoon due to heart failure, leaving his company to his only daughter, Kang Seulgi.

"Since I was at a young age, my father instilled this lesson to me that I should never trust someone, which led me to growing up with almost little to no friends." Seulgi said with an unreadable expression on her face.

She had been alone for most of her life, save for Seungwan whom she did not meet until five years ago.

"But I'm not someone who you should look for in a wife." Irene said.

Then it dawned on Seulgi.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" She covered her face again, "I've been so stupid, ugh! Of course I should have known that you are not into women!" She groaned.

Irene almost face palmed because Seulgi did not get her point.

"No! It's not that! I'm actually you know..." She trailed off.

"Gay..."

Seulgi gaped at her.

"In fact, I've never seen a man in a romantic way, and I only had one girlfriend." 

Oh.

"What I'm saying is, you can look for another woman, I guess? Maybe someone who is influential and powerful or just someone who is not some measly waitress." 

Seulgi's expression became stern, "Don't, Irene just don't. Degrading yourself just because your job is waiting tables? If there is one thing my mother taught me, it is to treat people equally. You being a waitress is not a bad thing, in fact, it's not such a bad job. We all do what we gotta do to live and get by." She finished seriously.

Wow, Seulgi really did make a reassuring point.

"My father left it in his will that I am to be married to someone before I can fully inherit his company, and as you obviously already know, I'm also gay. Irene, I chose you because I know that I can trust you."

"So this will be a marriage of convinience, correct?"

Seulgi winced.

"Yes, if you put it that way. However, I prefer deeming it as some kind of a backwards courting."

Backwards courting?

"You know, marriage comes first but I will still court you."

Irene almost snorted but refrained from doing so.

"Will I have a say in this?"

"Of course! Why won't you? This is a marriage, a mutual agreement! Like I said before, I'm giving you the choice to walk away."

Irene does not know where she got the thought, but she had this nagging feeling that she does not want to leave.

"This is all too much, you know?" Irene chuckled dryly, "Last time I was awake, I am being beaten the shit out and the next, I'm getting married to someone who I only waited tables for!"

"So you're accepting my proposal?" 

"Wait, what?"

"You said—"

"Oh no no no!"

"Sorry, I presumed too quickly."

"Perhaps you can give me the time to think?" 

"Of course! Take as long as you need." Seulgi said, "Just so you know, as your potential wife-to-be I will treat you and respect you like my equal. I can see it in your face that you think I pity you. To answer that question, no I don't. I can see you as someone who merely needs a bit of help and I'm willing to do so, but of course with limits you can set."

Irene nodded, processing each and every word.

"All right, is there something I can ask though?" 

"Shoot." Seulgi asked.

"Can I still keep my job?"

Many billionaire wives are after all told not to work anymore and depend on their husbands.

"Yes, yes you can! Although I can provide a certain position you can apply within the company, but like I said, you are your own person. I'm not like those typical billionaires who treat their significant others as trophy wives and not letting them work just to feed their oversized egos. Whether you want to choose staying a waitress or start working on my company, I'm always willing to oblige."

Irene exhaled in relief. Seulgi really is true to her words by respecting her.

"How about my father?"

"Right now, he was still bedridden. I'm sorry for causing your father such damage, but what he did to you is unforgivable, though I made sure to take care of the bills, it's the least I am capable of doing."

"Nonsense," The waitress replied, "To me, my father had died the moment my mother left us." She said in a small voice, face downcast.

"Hey, you have me now okay? And I'm not leaving your side any time soon." Seulgi placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, thumb rubbing circles.

In time, Seulgi thought, I will make sure I can be trustworthy enough for her to be able in opening up.

"Will he still make it out of prison?"

"Now that, is up to you Irene." 

Does she even want him to walk around as a free man knowing the trauma he caused her?

"To be honest, I still don't know."

"You have plenty of time to think it over, and I'll be with you every step of the way."

A ghost of a smile, a real smile this time grew on the waitress' lips and Seulgi tried with all her might not to blush because Lord, that small curve is so damn beautiful it took all her breath away and made her heart start jackhammering she thought it might burst from her chest.

Seeing Irene's real, unmasked smile reminded Seulgi of mornings.

It signified new and fresh beginnings.

"Thank you, Miss Kang, I really appreciate everything you're doing for me." 

"Please call me Seulgi."

"Huh?"

"Oh come on, Irene, I'm about to marry you and you're still talking to me formally? Loosen up kid."

"Last time I checked, I think I'm older than you." 

"B-but that's not the point!"

Irene chuckled and smiled at the heiress, noticing how Seulgi would take a few seconds to admire her.

A simple start-over will be great.

"Hi, I'm Irene Bae but you can call me by my real name, Joohyun."

Seulgi raised a brow in wonder.

”Yes, I’m pretty sure I still remember your name.”

“Of course you do, I just want us to have a fresh start.”

This time, it was Seulgi's turn to smile and Irene noticed the way her eyes crinkled into crescents, her straight white teeth showing, and cheeks looking so adorable.

"I'm Kang Seulgi but you can call me by my personal nickname only you can do so, Babe." She finished jokingly flirtatious.

Irene shook her head at this, her appetite now slowly going back.

"Your housekeeper cooked too much of these, and wasting food is a big no no. Have you eaten already?" 

A shake of the head from Seulgi is what she got in reply.

She held out the extra fork to her, "Here, share with me?"

The taller woman nodded eagerly, dropping the subject about the marriage for now, and dug into the fluffy pancakes.

She had an inkling that Taeyeon cooked for more than one serving and placed that extra fork because she was a scheming ajumma like that.

▪ ▪ ▪

”Here is your order, enjoy your meal!” Irene said to a middle aged man, who leered at her with hungry eyes.

”Thanks darling,” He replied with what the waitress can guess as a bedroom voice but it sounded close to a croaking cat.

What he did next pushed Irene towards anger though, as his hand snaked to “brush” against her backside.

Think happy thoughts Joohyun, happy thoughts only.

She merely gave a fake smile to the man, before turning away to clean tables.

She really does want to accept Seulgi's offer of providing a position for her in the company but she kept on having that feeling that she could not make it because she although holds a degree in accounting, she doubts she can make it through the interview.

KTI is known for taking in experienced and diligent workers, and Irene only possessed the latter, as she was unfortunate in looking for a job.

Her father also refused to let her move to another city in search for job, which made it even more difficult for her to find one. 

She let out a tired sigh, thinking about how much she let him practically control not only her choices but her whole life too.

But I have Seulgi now, right? 

• • • 

Joohyun fixed her civilian clothing as she closed her locker, about to clock out because she is thankfully on the nine to five shift.

A head poked in through the doorway, a sheepish looking Jon, one of her co workers waved at her.

"Yo, Irene! I know you've clocked out already, but can you please take out the trash? It's kind of getting hectic out here." He scratched his nape shyly.

"Sure thing!" Joohyun replied.

"Thanks! I owe you one." He winked.

Checking to see if Seulgi is not yet here to pick her up, she went towards then bins and pulled them to the backdoor leading to an alleyway dumpster.

Since Seulgi's penthouse is miles away, the younger woman took it upon herself to drive her to and from work.

As she was about to finish throwing the trash, the backdoor slammed open, revealing the previous man who had groped her hours ago.

"Hey there, pretty girl." He greeted.

Joohyun eyed him with disgust as the old beer bellied man took slow steps to her.

"Hi, Mister Park. You've lost your way haven't you?" She asked.

"Lost my way? I'm pretty sure I know where to find you." He laughed loudly.

"Oh, good one." Joohyun flashed a fake smile before stepping aside to make her way to the backdoor.

Seulgi must be already here, waiting for her outside.

Suddenly, a hand shot out to grab her arm, yanking her to the man's body.

"Now, now. My patience has its limits, girl. Waiting for you made me even hungrier. I got to have you!" He whispered to her ear, pinning her wrists on the wall.

She froze for a minute, racking her brain for the next moves she'll be doing. At first, fear consumed herwhole being, because no customer had never taken it this far but now after the initial fear, she felt anger.

Pure and unadulterated anger.

She has had enough.

How is it that women are always sexualized and mistreated in this unfair and cruel world!?

Sensing that the man's grip is tight on her wrists, she raised her right leg and her knee met his unprotected groin powerfully. Instantly, the dirty hands freed her as she took the opportunity to run, but she stumbled a little from the adrenaline, therefore the man managed to hold out a hand and catch her waist length midnight hair.

The pull made her wince in pain but turned and started stomping on his stomach, effectively disentangling his hold on her scalp, as he was still on the dirty ground.

"If." Stomp. "You," Stomp. "Repeat that with other girls," She dug the heel of her boot on his right hand, "I'll make sure you'll never ever walk again!" She growled, putting her body weight on his hand as the old coot let out an uncharacteristic high pitch shriek.

"Joohyun!"

• • • 

Seulgi whistled to herself as she walked towards her parked Audi R8 on the reserved space for the child of the CEO. She gave a longing look to the vacant space beside it, which was the previous CEO's but will soon be hers.

She will wait for Joohyun.

Speaking of her, it's almost her shift's end, maybe about fifteen minutes, so she abandoned her childish sulking over the parking space and drove away.

For the past three days, she patiently waited for the woman who will be her (hopefully) future wife. She felt bad for dragging Joohyun into her mess, so she made a promise to herself to keep her happy and treat her like how a woman should do with her wife.

They both may not have feelings for one another, given the situation they began, but Seulgi dearly hoped that there will be, eventually. They won't be separating from each other anyway, as Seungwan clearly explained from the will.

As long as she lives, she vowed to make it up to Joohyun.

As she neared the diner, she parked her car and then made her way out. Leaning on the hood, she crossed her arms, waiting for Joohyun.

Cliché looking, she knows.

It was with a huge reluctance that she let Joohyun continue working in here, but she does not want to make decisions on behalf of the waitress. The distate over the customers however, never changed. Seulgi is powerless against them for as long as Joohyun wants to work here. Beating them up won't exactly solve it, promising to herself that she will keep Joohyun away from her dark side.

Strange, she should be already out ten minutes ago.

Then, she felt a strange chill run down her spine, making her unreasonably anxious.

Something's wrong.

Walking inside, Seulgi scanned the surroundings but found no sign of her. Gesturing to a waiter, she eyed his name tag.

"Um, Jon? Do you happen to know if Joo— Irene has clocked out?" She almost spilled Joohyun's real name.

The recognition on the man's eyes was evident, "Miss Kang, good afternoon! Irene you say? Her shift ended earlier, but I asked her to run a small errand for me. Maybe she is still at the back." 

Seulgi's heart dropped to her stomach.

"Which way should I go?"

The waiter made a noise of refusal.

"Only authorized personnel allowed, Miss Ka—"

"Tell me right now or I'll get you fired on the spot!"

Okay, the threat is not real, she's not that evil. Desperation is fuelling her right now.

The trembling man shakily pointed to a door which Seulgi sprinted to, ignoring the busy diner now intrigued at the scene.

She almost slammed her body on the door to open it.

There, on the dark and putrid alleyway, stood Joohyun, the small woman's back to her. Joohyun did not seem to notice her entrance though, too engrossed. Also, on the floor is a man who Seulgi knew is one of those perverted customers, looking visibly in pain, one hand clutching his groin and the other under the tiny heeled boot owned by Joohyun.

Seulgi has to admit, this five foot two woman looked downright menacing as she towered over the whimpering and crying crocodile tears of a man.

"I'll make sure you'll never walk again!" She growled.

"Joohyun!" Seulgi finally called out, making the woman turn into a stone statue. She slowly turned around, facing the heiress dressed in jeans, shirt and her signature leather coat.

"Seulgi?"

She snapped out of her angry trance.

"I'm here now." Seulgi replied and then pulled the now trembling woman for a hug, coaxing Joohyun's face to press against her neck. The woman hesitatingly reciprocated, and returned the hug tightly, her arms around Seulgi's midsection.

Somehow, whenever Seulgi says she’s with her, Joohyun believed it undoubtedly.

They were interrupted by Mr. Whatshisface

"You bitch! You're going to fucking pay for what you have done to me!" The man is now on his feet, but with a hand to gain support from the wall.

"I will have your manager remove you from this—"

The .44 Magnum pointed right to his nose silenced him immediately. Then, Seulgi's thumb hovered and cocked the safety, making the guy shriek. 

"Joohyun, have I told you that Kang Trading Industries also deals with firearms?"

The man immediately recognized who the tall, and monolid eyed woman is.

"P-please spare me! I'm so sorry!" The man stuttered, about to pee his pants.

Seulgi rolled her eyes and motioned for him to go.

"Run along now and don't ever think of harassing women again or I'll make sure to find you and won't hesitate to pull the trigger." 

For a good warning, she fired one shot an exact one foot away from his feet. The man screamed in fright as he wobbled his exit away, pants already wet from the piss.

Seulgi returned the gun to its holster and pushed Joohyun a bit, but not enough to break the hug, inspecting her for any sign of injury.

"Did he touch you?"

"Yes."

Seulgi shook in unconcealed fury.

"Where?"

Irene raised her now red wrists.

"That fucking bastard! I shouldn't have let him go!" 

Irene quickly pulled Seulgi by the chin to face her.

"I'm okay, you're here with me now, right?" 

Seulgi clasped her hands, while she massaged the lightly bruised wrists in comfort.

"Joohyun, I'm sorry but I can no longer bear the fact that you work here, please resign."

In a heartbeat, the older woman agreed as she nodded. 

"Come." Seulgi gently intertwined their fingers and opened the back door for them to enter.

They were greeted with an audience, the once busy diner turned their attention to the couple who walked in.

"What are you looking at!?" Seulgi asked with a booming voice, making the people shuffle and try to go back to their devices.

"Irene!" A uniformed man, who Seulgi suspects is Joohyun's manager, appeared, "What have you done to Mr. Park!? Haven't I told you before that it will be a huge loss if he decided not to go here anymore because you were being rude to him!? And what was that loud noise huh?"

"Yah, Chan Seo..."

"And now you're disrespecting me by being informal! The audacity, Bae Irene I'm telling you!"

"... I quit."

"What?"

"You heard the lady, she's quitting!" 

People who are not watching but still carefully listening gave out ooooh's of their own and some noises of protest because they're about to lose the pretty waitress.

Seulgi shot a smile to Irene and then cackled in glee as they walked out of the diner hand in hand, leaving the open mouthed, dumbfounded manager.

"So, you own a gun huh?" 

Seulgi sheepishly grinned.

"Yeah, I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm never pulling my gun out again with you by my side."

"It's okay though, people do what they gotta do to protect." She said, mildly repeating Seulgi's words to her before, only in a different situation.

"So you're totally cool with me carrying a gun 24/7?"

Irene scoffed.

"Please don't ever forget to. Last time I checked you're a crucial part of the company and you're even walking around with no bodyguards at all."

"Who needs bodyguards when I have a background in martial arts." Seulgi boastfully remarked, flexing her biceps, making Irene laugh.

"Dork!"

Seulgi again pulled her for a short side hug.

"Thank you for accepting me." Seulgi said gratefully with a huge grin, as she opened the door of the passenger's side.

She's such a gentlewoman.

"What's not to accept about you?"

Seulgi faltered for a bit.

Many things Joohyun, many dirty deeds.

• • • 

"What would you like for dinner?"

"I don't know, maybe we can just grab take out? I'm way too high on adrenaline to cook."

"As much as I had taken a liking for your cooking, you must not forget that Taeyeon-unnie had an overseas education with a wide variety of foreign culinary."

"Let her rest, she complained of a back pain this morning."

"Take out it is. She's getting old isn't she?"

"Don't let her know you said that."

They giggled, the agreement sealed because the duo prefered living in one piece and safe from the ajumma's wrath.

"Joohyun?"

"Yes, Seulgi?"

"Let's go home."

"Let's."

• • • 

"Okay.... so remind me why I need to be here with you two?"

Irene and Seulgi both look at each other and then turned to the lawyer again.

"Because we both haven't been married before, and we need your help." 

Seungwan frowned.

"I also haven't been married before either, so why me?"

"For a lawyer, you sure are slow."

"Hey!" Seungwan raised her voice in indignance at her bestfriend's jab.

"Since um... this marriage is not like any other, Joohyun and I decided to um... have some sort of an agreement where to set boundaries.” 

Seungwan raised a brow in curiosity, before snatching a pad and pen, ready to listen to the weird couple.

”Okay, I’m all ears.”

Seulgi motioned for Irene to go first to which the woman accepted.

”Okaaay, so I already have this written down before.” The woman smiled, pulling her own paper from her back pocket, baffling Seulgi.

”So first, since I am not yet used to spending an extravagant amount, I get to have a say about whether this or that should be bought for me. Your friend here seemed to love spoiling me.”

Wendy nodded in agreement, scribbling the points down.

Joohyun is right.

One day, she is waiting tables and barely getting by, and the next she is under the care of a billionaire.

As she was writing this down, she can’t help but to smile and happily let go of the small mistrust she has for the older woman. Joohyun surely is not some gold digging lady who would abandon everything just to get their claws on Seulgi’s vast wealth.

”B-but J-joohyun! I have nobody else to spend my money on!”

”Seulgi, you can share your wealth with the charities.”

Wow, and they’re already on a first name basis.

”I do, I already do Joohyun. Please let me, pretty please please please...”

Gah! The sight of Seulgi disgustingly getting reduced to a childish mess made Seungwan cringed! 

So whipped.

“I’ll just ask if I’ll need something.”

”But that’s the thing isn’t it!? You never ask!” Seulgi crossed her arms like the petulant child she is, jutting her bottom lip out in a mature (note the sarcasm) pout.

”If it makes you feel any better, I’d like to have a tub of strawberry ice cream later.”

Seulgi lit up like Wendy’s umma’s eight foot tall christmas tree.

”Of course! I’ll be sure to buy you a whole fridge—“

The finger held up instantly shushed her declaration.

”One tub, Seulgi. Only one tub.”

The heiress deflated immediately.

“Fine.” She huffed, making Irene reward her a rare small smile, Seulgi instantly brightening up at the small curve.

Why do they have to be this disgustingly sweet? They’re not even married yet and they already act like some thirty year-old couple!

”It’s my turn now is it?” 

“Uh huh,” the lawyer replied.

”Since Joohyun is my wife to be, she is to accompany me during those charity events as my plus one.”

Seungwan noted the small frown on Irene’s face but nonetheless masked it and nodded in agreement.

”Alright, here’s my second rule...” Irene underlined the number two on her paper “If I get to work under Seulgi’s company, I’d like to keep our marriage a secret.”

”Joohyun! Absolutely not!”

”Do you realize how harmful that can be? People will think I only got in because I’m sleeping with their boss!” 

“Wait, so you’re willing to sleep with me?”

”Seulgi be serious!”

”Ouch!” The sheepish heiress caressed her whacked area, “Sorry!” She said but was not even looking apologetic at all.

”How about we announce it to them that you are to not be discriminated?” 

“Now that is surely inviting more gossips, Seulgi. They will surely think that I am some spoiled and insecure wife!”

“Fine, fine. But I’m above keeping my wife a secret. What those people think about us is not my problem, and surely should not be yours too.”

Joohyun frowned at the argument. Being Seulgi’s wife will surely bring her to the limelight because the heiress is considered as some kind of a celebrity for her dashing looks and one of the most elligible bachelorettes in Korea.

Keeping Joohyun under wraps will surely cause Seulgi a great deal of problems.

”Joohyun, maybe you and Seulgi can come up with some way to keep it professional in the company. You can’t exactly hide your marriage forever because Seulgi has constant paps over her and believe me, they can get privy if they want to. Also, her charity events will be under the scope of media, and there are times Seulgi belongs with the major benefactors.”

The table was silent for a minute, the bestfriends giving Irene the time she needs to ponder over before she nodded.

Seulgi seemed satisfied with the explanation given by the lawyer as she nodded profusely, pointing a finger to Seungwan.

”Write that down, Wannie.”

”Already did. Guys, you know I’m not needed here. This should be discussed by—“

”No!” They mutually yelled to the startled lawyer.

”We need professional help when it comes to these matters.”

”Marriage is not something you should speak about in front of a lawyer. You both sit down together, and discuss your marriage by yourselves. Who the heck even decided to set rules?”

Seulgi childishly pointed an accusing finger to a glaring Irene.

”Yah!”

”Okay, stop it you guys. Just have faith in each other all right?”

The couple nodded in understanding, and Irene raised a hand. Seungwan felt like a teacher schooling two stubborn children.

”I have my last rule though.”

“Shoot.” The lawyer replied.

”Seulgi is to be monogamous, and I in turn, of course. I know this marriage is not brought by love but by convinience, but I’d still want to keep my dignity.”

Seulgi looked a bit offended but shrugged it off after a while. The heiress can understand where she came from. She took one of Irene’s hands and raised it to her lips, kissing the back of her palm.

”Joohyun, I told you that I will respect and care for you just how a woman will for her wife.”

Irene smiled at this, before nodding to Seungwan as a signal that they are done.

Seulgi pretty much didn’t have anything to say about the “rules” so they ended the meeting.

”I’ve got to say, Wan. You’re like twenty four now, same as me but you’re still single.”

”Hey! Focus on your almost wife, not me!” 

Irene giggled at this.

”She’s right Seungwan, you should go and date.” 

“Not you too, unnie!” The lawyer groaned, “I’m waaay too busy.” 

“Told you Joohyun, I can now foretell the future that my bestfriend will become one of those unmarried, forty year-old ladies with a hundred cats!”

Cats aren’t that bad!

”Hm, there’s a possibility indeed. Your bestfriend seems to spend more time here in the office, handling cases here and there, seemingly more interested in her clients rather than people she is eligible to date!” 

Metaphorical steam blew out of Seungwan’s ears from the embarrassment as the two women cackled at their joke. 

“Speaking of client, I have an appointment in two minutes—“ she pushed the two women towards the door of her office.

”Yah! But your secretary said you’re free for the next hour!” 

“Don’t mind her, she’s lying! Go and buy Joohyun-unnie her whole fridge of ice cream, I don’t care!”

Seulgi lit up at the idea.

”Absolutely! Let’s go and buy you—“

”Say another word and I’ll make sure you’ll regret them!”

They didn’t notice that they’re now right outside the door.

”BYE!” 

Seungwan exclaimed and then slammed the door on their faces, the secretary on the desk beside them yelping out from getting startledby the loud noise.

”Psh, rude.” The heiress huffed.

Seugi held out a hand, to which Joohyun automatically intertwined her fingers with Seulgi’s bigger ones. It seemed like a natural thing for them to do now, like a chain reaction.

They’re not in love yet, but they are on the way there, that’s for sure. 

And neither knew. 

“Come on, let’s get you that one tub of ice cream.” Seulgi jokingly emphasized. 

• • •

Joohyun hummed in glee as she took a spoonful of the heavenly ice cream to her mouth, her favorite flavor melting on her tastebuds.

”Seulgi?”

”Yes?”

Came Seulgi’s reply as she was also busy on her own tub of chocolate ice cream.

”I’ll marry you.”

Yay.


	3. Mrs. Bae or Mrs. Kang?

White. 

Stark, clean and glaringly white surrounded Bae Joohyun as she took in her environment.

Today, she and Seulgi are scheduled to have their gown fittings.

Well, her gown and Seulgi’s customized tux for women.

It was Irene who actually asked for the heiress to wear a tux because in her words, she looked “dignifying” wearing suits, to which Seulgi readily agreed.

They went to Love & Lace, which was Seulgi’s choice because the owner, Joy Park is a really close friend of her and a famous designer who specializes in wedding attire.

The name of the boutique certainly rung bells, as whenever she reads magazines, the mentioned woman is always on them, her latest designs printed out for the public’s view.

Seulgi really befriends people who are successful, young and single.

Just like how she is.

Well, she’s about to get married the day after tomorrow anyway.

The room where she is in is next to another, which had the fitting room on the same wall separating them, therefore if you are on the first room, you can definitely talk to the other person on the other side through the fitting rooms, which was what Seulgi and Irene are doing, since it’s a bad luck for the brides to see each other in their wedding attire before the ceremony itself.

Only a thin, wooden barrier are what’s separating the two from seeing each other.

”So, this Park Joy, how old is she?” Irene asked.

”She’s twenty three now, only a year younger than Seungwan and I.” Replied Seulgi from the other side of the wall.

”You really like having people close to your age around you, like Seungwan.”

”They’re great friends and what we have is genuine. ost public figures build friendships for the sake of publicity stunts to gain the attention of the media. I met Seungwan as Seulgi, not Kang Seulgi.”

Joohyun understood what she meant. Seungwan and Seulgi became friends not because of their status but because they really bonded.

”How about Joy?”

”Hm, you can ask her yourself. That woman can probably tell you a whole life story in five minutes.” Seulgi answered, before groaning in defeat.

”What’s the matter?” Irene asked, concerned.

”This is like, my eleventh suit and I still can’t find the perfect one!”

”Hey, I’m on my eighth too, and it looks like I’m about to settle with this. Go look for what you think is right, not what you think is perfect.” Irene suggested. 

Seulgi nodded, but immediately knew that Irene can’t see her so she mumbled a thanks.

”See you in a bit, I gotta go change.”

Seulgi walked out of her own room to search for her twelfth and hopefully, her last suit.

Irene twisted her body a bit to check the back - or rather, the backless bodice - of the dress, exposing her creamy skin. The gown fitted her nicely, the top adorned with pretty patterns of embroidered flowers and paired with long, fitting sleeves of lace. The skirt is long, and not too puffy, completing the simple yet elegant motif. The ivory colored dress served to complement her pale skin.

Quickly, she stepped out of the fitting room to show it to Joy who was holding another dress for Irene but unceremoniously dropped it upon seeing her to clap in excitement, eyes twinkling in adoration.

”Oh my good god! It looks so good on you!” She excitedly declared, running towards her and circling the older woman to inspect.

”You already said the same thing with the first seven.”

The tall designer ignored her.

”Aaaah, don’t you just love it when brides finally get the dress for them?” The designer sighed to herself dreamily, eyeing the gown on Irene as if it is the love of her life.

Well, that’s Park Sooyoung for you. The biggest fashionista in Korea who happens to be also very talented in designing and styling.

Not only was she a stylist, she’s a model herself! She possessed the visuals for a stunning model with her tall and lean physique and eye catching ulzzang face. There are times she modelled for her own brand, therefore promoting her designs in a different way the critiques surely loved.

”This is perfect, Miss Irene. I’m strongly recommending this, what do you think so?”

”I love it,” Joohyun replied, eyes reflecting the excitement in Joy’s with her own, “I’m choosing this.”

It would be a huge lie to say that never had Irene pictured herself to be in a wedding dress. When she was a young girl, whenever her and her parents would attend weddings, she used to fantasize her own wedding, thinking about how a prince charming will sweep her off of her feet just like how her father did to her mother. Her father had been her standard of a prince charming, because she can see it in her own, innocent eyes how he would take great lengths to please her mother.

But, a BIG BUT, Joohyun no longer prefered those fictitious prince charmings when she had lived for twenty six years in this cold and cruel world where love is rare.

Honestly, she can’t help but think about a certain brute who literally swept her off of her feet the night she saved her, and carried her effortlessly. 

Oh yes, in her barely conscious state, she indeed caught a glimpse of the woman carrying her with a hardened look on her face. Had Irene possessed the strength, she would have reached out to console those eyebrows meeting in the middle of her forehead by smoothening them out with her fingers.

Deep down, she thinks - no, she knew - that those prince charmings are nothing compared to Kang Seulgi, her own reality.

”Great choice!” Joy snapped her out of her thoughts with her enthusiastic tone, reaching a hand out to assess her figure which was not quiet filling up the dress, frowning.

”No offense, Miss Irene but I think you should put on a bit of weight.”

Out of nowhere, Seulgi’s voice rang through the entire room.

”I know right, Sooyoung? Lord knows how much I fussed over her eating habits! She eats like a sick child!”

Oh, she almost forgot that Seulgi can overhear them because of the fitting room and Irene vice versa, but chose not to eavesdrop. 

“Joohyun?”

”Yes?”

”I’m almost done, just the few adjustments here and there. Would you like to go somewhere after this?”

”Do we still have schedules?”

”Nah, I figured that the wedding cake can be scheduled tomorrow, so you can take a rest.”

”Hm, okay. How about we go to the park?”

”Sure thing! I’ll meet you outside. I’ll see you at the wedding, Sooyoung.”

”Bye unnie!” The younger woman replied and then giggled to Irene.

Irene looked at the mirror again, drinking in the sight of her wedding dress and the thought of getting married worried her a little, the idea not yet sinking into her.

”She likes you.” Joy said again, making Irene frown.

”Of course she likes me, we’re about to get married in two days.” The smaller woman replied, fiddling with her dress to avoid suddenly blurting out the truth.

Joy scoffed behind her, then Irene felt her hands caging her slightly bowed head and straightened it, meeting Joy’s knowing glint on the reflection from the mirror in front of them. 

“I know a liar when I see one, Miss Irene. Seulgi-unnie has been my friend for so long and even though she hasn’t said anything to me, I can tell there is something going on,” Joy stated, “And to tell you the truth, you’re already kind of suspicious because this is my first time meeting you as Seulgi-unnie’s romantic love interest.”

Irene swallowed the lump forming in her throat, looking for a loophole in this confrontation.

”I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Irene tried to reply with a hint of offense but the designer brushed it off.

”You’re a tough cookie to break aren’t you? Seulgi-unnie sure likes complicated women! Anyways, do you know how she and I met?” 

Irene almost let out a sigh of relief from the sudden change of subject but nonetheless felt thankful, so she shook her head.

”It was about seven years ago, I was sixteen and a stray kid barely getting by because I lost my parents and ran away from the abusive orphanage I lived in.” Joy took Irene’s arm and helped her to sit on a nearby chair.

”For two years, I roamed the streets and I was able to feed myself by being a petty thief.”

Irene was saddened at the thought that Joy has to go through that horrible experience.

”Then, one winter night as I was in a sidewalk shivering while trying to keep myself warm, I saw this young girl, looking at me with eyes that held so much depth in them. Aside from my parents, she was the first person to look at without the hint of disgust or fear and suspicion from getting robbed. I couldn’t ask who she was and why she stared at me, for I was too busy chattering my teeth. The next thing I know, the inn where I was ironically staying at the footsteps of, opened its doors to welcome every homeless person nearby. They kept us fed, clothed and provided us with a warm home for free until the cold died down.”

Irene nodded, taking the hint that it was Seulgi who actually helped Joy and gave her shelter even though she could have walked by and minded her business, ignoring the girl shivering to death.

She swore she felt her heart swell twice its size, and she can’t do anything about it.

“After, I asked why they took us in and the answer I got was Kang Seulgi bought the inn, yes Kang Seulgi, the nineteen year-old daughter of Kang Rowoon of Kang Trading Industries bought the inn just to help the homeless.” 

Oh, how selfless is she and that kindhearted to be someone you can lean on to whenever you need help. It did not matter that she doesn’t know you, she’ll try her best to help you.

Somehow, Joohyun felt a bit stupid for underestimating Seulgi’s words of wanting to always be a helping hand.

”It didn’t stop there! Right after, she assisted those who needed homes, provided them jobs within her father’s company. Do you happen to know Kang Scholarship Program?”

Joohyun nodded in affirmation.

KSP is one of Korea’s most sought after program because of how it helped many in finishing their education.

”It was Seulgi-unnie’s idea to launch the program and led it on her own! And you won’t believe this but she personally told me about it and I became its first ever scholar!”

Irene seriously can’t believe how much Seulgi has achieved in such a young age! 

Sometimes, she thinks the younger woman is an angel sent from above, destined to help those in need.

”I also had a little crush on her! Although—“ Joy couldn’t finish talking when she bursted out in a loud laughter concerning Irene’s jealousy stricken face which she unconsciously showed, “I said had, Miss Irene. Had.” She emphasized. “I mean who wouldn’t? She’s young, crazy rich, famous and good looking.” 

But Irene never paid attention to those details. Money and fame aren’t what kept her by Seulgi’s side.

It’s the genuine kindness and thoughtfulness she constantly showed to the older woman.

”I pursued fashion after that and graduated, all thanks to her. We became friends and yep, the rest is history.”

Irene wordlessly nodded, speechless over Joy and Seulgi’s friendship.

”She became my ray of sunshine during my darkest times and had been helping me to become the best version of myself. I really owe her a fat lot, but she never held it against me. So, spill now. Unnie’s practically an open book with us so I immediately felt it strange when she was single a week ago and now she’s getting married.”

Irene began fiddling with the hem of her sleeve now, fidgeting under the watchful gaze of Joy, as if she’s being pried open.

Her and Joy’s life were different yet similar because Seulgi was present in both, with the intent to help.

So she told Joy.

She told Joy about her father.

She told Joy about her job.

She told Joy about how she met Seulgi.

She also did not spare a detail about her and Seulgi’s marriage agreement.

• • •

Over the next hour, Irene pushed away her discomfort and mistrust, effectively becoming fast friends.

”For your information, Miss Irene I’ve never in my whole life saw or heard of Seulgi-unnie asking for help, so it’s so refreshing to see her getting it from you.” Joy thoughtfully nodded to herself, crossing her arms and pursing her lips.

Irene had thankfully changed into her casual clothing, and Seulgi texted her on her brand new Iphone (bought by Seulgi which she reluctantly accepted) to inform that she went to a nearby café to procure them drinks as she jokingly told Irene she was about to have hypothermia from the freezing cold while waiting for Joy and her to finish.

She had an inkling that Seulgi knew what her and Joy are talking about, and decided to give them time and privacy.

”To be honest, she had been nothing short of being respectful to me. She knew exactly how to set her boundaries and it had been frankly scary to me at first, but I grew accustomed to it. She’s easy to be with.” Irene confessed.

“That’s Seulgi-unnie for you! By the way, have you decided whom will be taking the other’s name?”

Oh, right. They had been so busy into preparing and rushing the wedding (the company should be under Seulgi’s leadership as soon as possible or the board might take it away from her) that they forgot they’re both women in this complicated (not really) relationship.

“Right, we haven’t yet decided that.”

”Hm, you should talk about it. Bae Seulgi? Sounds good... Kang Irene? Sounds good too...” 

“Joohyun. My birth name is Joohyun.”

”Oh! Then can I abandon formalities and all that shit and just call you Joohyun-unnie?! You’re about to be Seulgi-unnie’s wife after all and we’re practically sisters! Also, my birth name is Sooyoung!”

Joohyun nodded, smiling widely at the designer. She supposes she can be a friend to Joy (Sooyoung) who had no family in her life, then she’ll try to fill that void.

”Say, Joohyun-unnie...”

”Yes Sooyoung-ah?”

Came the sisterly kind of tone from Joohyun.

”Have you happened to meet Seulgi-unnie’s bestfriend, the lawyer?”

”Seungwan?”

”Yes.”

”What about her?”

“I was just wondering if she’s single.”

”Oh, very much so. Although, I’m not quiet sure if she’s attracted to the same gender, Seulgi did not mention such detail to me.”

”Nah, my gaydar can never prove me wrong, and I’m telling you unnie, it goes off crazily whenever I see her. Pretty sure she’s a spaghetti.”

”A what now?”

• • •

”Thanks for the hot chocolate, it’s my favorite.” Joohyun hummed in satisfaction as she slowly sipped the drink bought by her uh... housemate.

She can’t exactly label what her and Seulgi have until they’re married but they have been acting like girlfriends it’s daunting her how she was able to trust somebody this quick.

Seulgi only hummed back in a silent you’re welcome! and piled the hot chocolate away in her Joohyun’s favorites mental diary.

• • •

So far, these are the contents of Joohyun’s favorites as written by Kang Seulgi:

1\. The purple color: Joohyun owned many things purple and Seulgi was not surprised when Joohyun answered “purple please” when asked what color she’d like to have her room painted. She also um... (cough) chose many purple colored underwear (okay, Seulgi didn’t cough, she fucking choked) and lingerie sets when she took the smaller woman for shopping. It took everything in her body, spirit and soul not to get a nosebleed when Joohyun innocently showed her how those thin underwear made her a hundred times more edible.

So yeah, Seulgi thinks that the color Joohyun favors also complements her.

2\. Laundry: Religion, thy name is Laundry. Joohyun religiously washed her and Seulgi’s clothing which Seulgi very much approved of since the fabrics of her clothing became softer for the skin and no discoloration has happened. She also loved how it smelled better, so Seulgi dubbed Joohyun as the goddess of laundry and ironing she jokingly thought that Miss Kim should stay away from it from now on, because Joohyun did better than the housekeeper, she has to admit. 

Don’t tell Miss Kim that, though.

She’ll whack you with whatever she’s holding at the moment.

3\. Pancakes: She noticed how the older woman would almost always cook pancakes for her breakfast, prefering the flat, and unhealthy fluffy food. Although she constantly nagged Seulgi into eating vegetables.

Seriously, one pout from her and Seulgi finds herself chewing a braised carrot.

4: Books: Seulgi has a room with a mini library in her suite and she almost always finds Joohyun in there during her free time, too absorbed in one of her fictional books. She’ll take a moment to admire the view of tranquility before calling for the woman’s attention.

”I always loved reading fictions since I was kid. Now, as an adult, I can’t help but to admit that even though we live in a harsh reality, I’d prefer it far more, because I have you with me, real and tangible.”

Seulgi is dearly asking you to forget about how she blushed and stuttered like some bumbling fool.

5\. Hot chocolate (New): Seulgi promised to take her out on hot chocolate dates even if they left the cafe to drive off into a nearby cliff, lying on a blanket at midnight and watching the stars.

It seemed simple yet it felt special for the two as they huddled closer to each other, seeking warmth.

• • •

”Can I ask something?” Joohyun asked, genuinely curious.

”What did Sooyoung mean when she said Seungwan is a spaghetti?”

Seulgi bursted out in laughter, slapping her knee and wiping away fake tears.

”Such a Sooyoung thing to say!”

Joohyun’s eyes furrowed in question. 

Was she the only one not getting it?

”You do know how a spaghetti cooks right? So she basically said Wendy is like spaghetti because spaghetti is straight but not until it’s wet.”

”Oh.” Was only Joohyun’s smart reply, baffled at Joy’s utterly perverted innuendo earlier.

That’s Park Sooyoung for you.

What a crazy kid.

”What about you?” 

“What about me?”

”If Wendy is spaghetti, then what are you?” 

It’s only a question for fun really, yet she did not expect Seulgi to reply.

”I’m a macaroni.”

• • •

That night, she asked Miss Kim what Seulgi meant about being a macaroni.

”So, spaghetti is straight and macaroni is curved.”

”And?” 

She wanted to slap her forehead for being slow.

“Macaroni had never been straight.”

Oh. 

• • •

”Hey, I’m home.” Seulgi greeted to Joohyun, who is on the couch, watching tv and looking so carefree and younger than her age.

”Hi.” The older woman greeted, and then helped Seulgi shed her jacket before leading her towards the couch to rest, Joohyun volunteering to take her bag to her home office. After, she want back to the living room, to Seulgi.

”Have you eaten?” She asked to the lying Seulgi, eyes closed but not asleep, her tired form slumped on the long sofa. Carefully maneuvering her head to rest on Joohyun’s lap, she began running her fingers through her tangled dark brown locks, earning her a content sigh from the woman whose eyes are still closed.

“Not yet, I think I’ll rest for a bit if you don’t mind.”

”Sure, just tell me if you’re hungry and I’ll reheat the food for us.”

Seulgi frowned.

”Us? I take it you haven’t eaten yet either?”

Joohyun blushed in embarrassment, her hands pausing for a bit before Seulgi tapped on her fingers in a silent request to continue her relaxing ministrations.

”Yeah, I’m sorry. I’ve recently just got used to eating with somebody now.”

”Well then, I shall make it into a habit of going home earlier.”

”Oh please don’t, your company needs you.” 

“KTI will do just fine with me going home to retire for the night, my wife is my priority first and foremost.”

Joohyun blushed at the word wife which Seulgi must’ve accidentally slipped.

”I m-mean—!”

”I get this feeling that you’re really going to be spoiling me and indulge all my whims.”

”Now that, I plan to do so.”

”Nuh-uh, your work is very important—“

Seulgi’s coffee colored eyes are now opened and boring into her own, obsidian ones, as if searching for her soul within those dark depths.

”Nothing comes first before you Joohyun, remember that and you can’t change my mind.” Seulgi finished the conversation and opted to lie on her side, making her face Joohyun’s flat stomach and then proceeded into pressing her whole face into the warm softness (and oh god, did she just take a nice and long inhale of her scent?) before snaking her right arm around her waist. She let out an uncontrolled purr of content at the comfortable feeling.

Joohyun was startled by this, especially when she felt slightly tickled by Seulgi’s hot breath on her belly button - which was very, very sensitive - through her thick, cotton shirt.

They carried on with the comfortable silence, the only sound in the room was the television’s low volume. 

“How was your diet going?” Seulgi asked, pulling away from her happy place slightly.

The first time they met, Seulgi immediately noticed the lack of meat in her arms and how she barely filled her clothing. It’s not that her weight is alarming, but she needed the proper nutrition to gain a healthy weight so she asked for Doctor Song’s recommendations regarding her diet and asked Miss Kim to keep watch as Irene seemed to have gotten used to not eating too much.

“Quiet well, I did not know Taeyeon-unnie is such a halmeoni force feeding me like a turkey fattening up for those Americans’ Thanksgiving celebrations!”

”Hm, seems like it. Your thighs,” She can hear Seulgi choke out the word, “Feel softer and fuller.” 

She outright blushed at the crude statement.

”Yah, don’t tell me you have been checking me out?”

Seulgi chuckled, her voice dropping into a deeper, teasing tone.

”Haven’t you noticed yet that I’ve been doing that for so long now? And remember, I did carry you when you were unconscious.” Seulgi raised a finger to waggle it in front of Joohyun’s face. 

“Perv.” She scoffed jokingly.

”So how are you feeling right now?”

She knew Seulgi asked about her feelings because tomorrow is their wedding day. 

“Strangely, I don’t feel the wedding jitters. I don’t know, I feel awfully relaxed for somebody who’s about to get married.” 

“That’s good to hear. I’ll have you know that you can still back out if you want.”

”No, I’m here because it was my own choice. From now on, I’ll be beside you for as long as you want me to be.”

Seulgi smiled at this. Joohyun is slowly putting her trust in her and she can’t help the big smile. She slowly raised her head to meet Joohyun’s gaze which is full of hope.

”I’ll always want you by my side.” She murmured, eyeing her pink pouty lips which Seulgi had been dying to get a taste from since the first time they met in that diner. She was about to lean in closer, closer and closer...

Then came the party pooper.

Her stomach growled loudly, signifying its emptiness and drought.

Joohyun pulled herself out of her trance to cackle much to the heiress’ chagrin and reddening cheeks which she pinched because they looked so damn adorable with that puffiness from Seulgi’s pout.

”Aweee is the baby bear hungry?” She cooed mockingly, poking her cheeks which Seulgi swatted away with small annoyance.

Seulgi wordlessly stood up and pouted before pulling the still giggling lady to the kitchen for their dinner.

Welp, there goes their first kiss.

• • •

”At this rate, you’re about to render Taeyeon-unnie jobless. I mean, this kimchi-jjigae is so good!” Seulgi praised as she slurped a small portion of the soup from her bowl.

”I’d rather have her here, I still have a lot to learn you know? She can make a mean homemade tteokbokki, which is one of my favorites!”

”Duly noted.” Seulgi murmured to herself.

”So, I’ve been meaning to ask...” Irene trailed off, as she picked up a side dish then put it on top of Seulgi’s spooned rice halfway through the air and then fixing a one-second stern look to Seulgi.

”Go on.” Seulgi urged, before she defeatedly put the spoon in her mouth, almost spewing out the disgusting taste of stir fried cucumber.

”Would you be Bae? Or would I be Kang?” 

Oh. 

Seulgi haven’t thought of that.

“The choice is up to you, since changing of names came from the patriarchal bullshit of ownership. If you want to keep your name, it’s fine by me. If you want me to take your name, that would be okay too and vice versa if you’d want my surname.”

”But what do you want?”

“I don’t really mind, Bae is an elite surname if I must say.” 

“Hm, but personally I like the name Kang. Bae Seulgi sounded good but...“ she hit Seulgi’s chopsticks with her own, then pushed the supposedly neglected veggies back to the middle of her plate, “... Kang Joohyun really, really hits the spot.”

“You’re gonna be Kang?” Seulgi’s smile was ear to ear, perking up at Joohyun’s words, “I mean, I was planning that if you won’t want to change our names we can stay as both Bae and Kang. Changing surname is a sign of ownership but I don’t see it as that! I feel that a part of me is on you or a part of you is on me if I am to be a Bae.” Seulgi took one of Joohyun’s hands in her own, creating a perfect fit by intertwining the fingers, “I’d really love for you to be a Kang, Joohyun”

”Mrs. Kang Joohyun it is.”

• • •

The wedding felt like a blur to them, as they didn’t even have much guests, Seulgi announcing to the public that she is to be married privately, making a discreet jab to the paparazzi.

The only people who Irene knew were Seungwan and Sooyoung and some few famous faces but other than that, none.

She has no relative anyway.

As she walked down the isle, her vision blurred and focused only on Seulgi by the altar who looked so beautiful and powerful in her tux.

Damn, she made the right choice for a tux.

The smile she plastered on her face was for only the person she is to marry. 

Kang Seulgi. 

And she’ll soon be Mrs. Kang Joohyun.

”You look so beautiful, darling.” Seulgi whispered to her ear which she gave a small smile in reply.

”And you, are looking so dashing.” 

The pastor began his speech and all that blah blah blah which Joohyun did not pay attention to.

Shit.

It all finally sunk in.

She is going to be married.

What the fuck.

She was on the verge of having an embarrassing breakdown when she felt Seulgi squeeze her hands in reassurance.

”I’m here with you.” She mouthed.

Somehow, in all this predicament of her getting married felt right to her because it is with Seulgi.

She calmed down after that.

• • •

It was Joohyun who had been first to cite her vows. With practiced memorization, she unfaulteringly went eye to eye with Seulgi who is waiting with baited breath for her next words.

i vow to stay beside you

to start a life with you anew

i vow to always be your pillar of support

to be always around when you needed comfort

i vow to cherish all your sides

as i stand here as your bride

with this ring, i give you not only my heart but also my mind

with you forever, i am willing myself to bind

She smiled at the almost teary eyed Seulgi, as she slipped the ring in her finger. She raised it to her lips to kiss them before letting Seulgi speak.

you, are an angel sent from above

for accepting every broken piece of me

beautiful you who gave me unconditional love

made me feel happy and free

you chased all the demons away

that led me astray

for this, i am absolutely in your debt

so promises are what i kept

i promise to protect your heart

just as you did with mine

i promise to love you, every part

with you, even in the dark i shine

i promise to hold

and to never forsake you

even if the world becomes barren and cold

come what may, we’ll push through

i promise to fulfill my vows

as we stand here in the altar

darling how i wish to be with you for all eternities if fate allows

for my devotion will never faulter

• • •

And they sealed the deal with a soft kiss.

Their first kiss. 

Screams erupted from the crowd as they both laughed at the distinct falsetto scream of Seungwan.

For a single, she sure is too happy.

Well, maybe not for long because Sooyoung is now approaching with two flutes of champagne.

• • •

Joohyun threw her body on the couch in mild exhaustion, wearing casual clothing, besides Seulgi with an equal lack of enthusiasm and similar attire.

”Damn, that took a lot longer than I expected.” Seulgi complained, which Joohyun replied to with an uh-huh in agreement.

“What time is it anyway?”

”About 2AM?”

“Where’s Taeyeon-unnie?” Joohyun asked.

”Oh, she said a while ago that she’ll be taking an indefinite leave until we’re done with our “honeymoon phase.” Seulgi rolled her eyes.

Ha, you wish there is a honeymoon.

”Honeymoon as in movie night?” Joohyun giggled as she popped a popcorn (pun, lol) into her mouth, the salty butter immediately meeting her tastebuds.

”Yeah right.” Seulgi sulked.

”What? You think I’m letting you get into my pants that quick?” Joohyun jokingly punched Seulgi’s arm.

”Oh, yes. But then again, what’s wrong with wanting to get inside my wife’s pants?” She joked back, immediately barking out a laugh at Joohyun’s shocked reaction. 

“Haha, very funny you brute of a perv.” She crossed her arms in mock annoyance, still flustered at Seulgi’s previous statement.

“You’re calling me a brute now? You wound me Joohyun, truly.” She dramatically pressed a palm to her heart in faux pain.

”Drama queen,” Joohyun quipped, “Would rather have me call you a teddy bear? Because you look like one!” She guffawed at Seulgi’s genuinely annoyed look.

”What teddy bear? I’m a tiger! A fierce one at that!” She pouted, “And what about you? Look at your ears, you look like a bunny!” 

It was now Seulgi’s turn to make fun of her wife as the older woman glared at her but failed to keep it going on as her lips broke into a smile.

”Keep calling me a bunny and you’re not getting any of these snacks!”

”Fine, I’m sorry!”

”Pfft, weak shit. Come on, help me set the movie up.”

”I feel like I’m going to be the deadbeat wife who always gets told to do all the dirty work.”

”You might be if you won’t stop being a child and help me choose a movie.”

”Oh, can we watch Before Sunrise? It’s my personal favorite.”

”Sure.”

After everything was set up, Joohyun and Seulgi brought some blankets from their respective rooms and then wrapped themselves before settling to watch the movie, numerous snacks placed on top of the coffee table.

”Honest curiosity though, when did you write your vows?”

”It’s a secret.” Joohyun poked a finger to Seulgi’s nose purely out of a habit developed recently.

It had become a common occurence for the older woman to do this certain mannerism, Seulgi taking it maybe as a sign of affection.

”You’re no fun.” Seulgi grumbled.

”How about yours?”

”It’s a secret.” She mimicked Joohyun’s words to which made Joohyun pinch her on her side.

”I’m about to be a battered wife.” She groaned out loud, caressing the hurt (not really, this is just Kang Seulgi being dramatic 101) area.

”You’re right. So you better behave and be a good wife to Kang Joohyun.”

Seulgi almost screamed in absolute eagerness, the Kang on Joohyun’s name making her swoon like she was not an adult who is also the future CEO of a well known company.

”Yes ma’am!” 

• • •

After some time (and maybe four or five movies) later, as the sun’s ray began peeking through Seulgi’s floor to ceiling windows, Joohyun pulled the groggy woman so that they can retire on their respective rooms.

They were now in front of Joohyun’s door, wordlessly looking at each other.

”Staring is rude.” Joohyun murmured.

”I’m not just staring, I’m taking in all the beauty that is my wife.”

”You’re still not over that we’re married?”

”Will never be.” Seulgi answered.

”Well then you should, because you might not process what I’m about to do.”

Curiosity piqued Seulgi’s interest.

”What would it be?”

Joohyun unceremoniously pulled Seulgi, making the taller woman propel forward, their lips crashing against each other hungrily. 

Immediately, Seulgi’s arms went around Joohyun’s waist and pulled her impossibly closer and then moved her head slightly to slant their lips better. She bit on Joohyun’s juicy lower lip, asking for permission which the older woman granted. Their tongues met in a fierce battle, until Seulgi won and roamed her hot and wet mouth.

She groaned loudly at the flavor of melted butter and something that she can’t quiet point out but tasted delicious, so distinctly Joohyun. Her right hand moved lower and lower until it cupped her fleshy rear.

Hm, I know they looked good but damn, they feel even better.

Joohyun retaliated by sneaking one hand and slowly running it from the valley of her breasts and down to her hard and lean stomach. She splayed her fingers to cope a feel of the delicious sensation in her fingertips.

Are these... abs?!

They mutually moaned into each other’s mouth before parting to catch their breath, a thin string of saliva connecting them before Seulgi licked her lips to disconnect it. 

“Wow.” Was the first thing Seulgi said after gaining control of her breathing.

“Yeah, wow.” Joohyun breathed, her hand still on Seulgi’s taut stomach, unable to resist the muscles under her fingers.

She decided that they’re now her closet favorite.

Seulgi leaned in for one more hot kiss, this time no tongue involved, opting to just feel Joohyun’s sweet lips against her.

Joohyun is like a drug and she’s an addict.

She can’t get enough.

Joohyun pushed a hand to her chest to disconnect their lips, “We need to stop.” She mumbled, fidgeting.

”We should, we’re both not yet ready.” Seulgi affirmed.

”Would you like to sleep with me?” 

Seulgi smirked at her to which Joohyun reprimanded with a look.

”You know very well what I’m talking about, Seulgi-yah.” 

“I like my name on your lips.” 

“I love your name on my lips.”

”And Byulie-unnie told me I’m the greasy one!”

Coal eyes narrowed to a glare.

”To whom exactly are you greasy?”

”Only for my wife, miss.”

”It’s “Mrs.” for you.”

Joohyun, without turning her body searched for the doorknob blindly and then reached for Seulgi’s hand with her other free one, pulling the taller woman inside to her bed. She let her body fall on it, beckoning for Seulgi to follow which the younger woman uncharacteristically did so with shyness.

Though it dissipated once her head hit the pillows and Joohyun pulled her so now they’re face to face, the smaller woman’s eyes closed as Seulgi gazed at her beautiful and make up free face.

”Are you going to keep on looking at me like a creep or you’re gonna come closer and cuddle me?”

”The second one please,” Seulgi laughed “And staring at my wife is not creepy.”

”Go to sleep, Seulgi-yah. Good morning.”

”Sleep well, Joohyun. Stay with me ‘til afternoon alright?”

The older woman nodded before she was pulled into Seulgi’s warm embrace, their forms almost melting into one another.


	4. Welcome to KTI

“You very well know how the rules work, Jung. How the Kangs work.”

Kang Rowoon in all his tall, broad and domineering stature began venomously, his elbows resting on the rich Blackwood desk, while his fingers are clasped together and his chin on them.

He may seem calm, but he was far from that.

Fury is raging on his eyes.

Eyes which are very much similar to the twelve year old girl’s own as she quietly stood behind her father, head bowed and tears beading on her lids, threatening to fall, unable to find the words on how to excuse herself from this scenario.

However, nothing she says will convince him to let her go.

After all, he was the one to call for her in his office. 

“Of course I do, Mr. Kang! Memorized and took them to heart! Why must you call for me about this matter?” The man whom the girl knew as “Mr. Jung” nervously asked.

It’s ridiculous how her father had not yet said anything much, and the man is already almost on his knees, about to beg for his life.

”There are two things I despise the most, Jung,” He held up two fingers, “Liars and traitors.” He said as he curled down each finger along with each word, “Funny how you are both.”

The room felt icy, and each word, even though not directed to the girl, felt like icicles stabbing through her.

It does not take much observation to see how she fears her father so.

The shivering man let out a noise of denial, “I promise you, Mr. Kang that I have done nothing to meddle with our trades!”

”Then explain to me how our trades with the cartels along Beijing decided to cut our agreement!? Surely you must have done something to them!”

”H-how did you know?”

”Oh, Jung I am not some brainless idiot to make claims. I had you under watch!”

”Those fools knew better than to forge a partnership with the Japanese! We must keep them only for us Mr. Kang!”

The man on the desk shot up, his chair jerking back from the force, falling with a loud thud, making the girl cover her ears in fright, her form visibly shaking in stark fear and her lips trembling.

His palm slammed on the desk, as Mr. Jung swallowed the unmanly shriek out of fright from escaping his trembling lips.

”You fucking airhead! Then you’re admitting to your faults then? Tell me, why did you kidnap their women and sold them off?! Why did you filch from them?!” 

“It was to strike fear against them Mr. Kang! The decision I made is for the sake of our power!” 

“You don’t get to make the decisions, I do!”

The man let out a cry, tears running down his wrinkly cheeks and snot ran down his nostrils as he immediately bowed down.

Not on his knees, but fully bowed to the angry man, his forehead meeting the cold and hard floor.

”Please forgive me for my stupidity Mr. Kang! It will never happen again, I swear on my blood!”

Rowoon looked at him without an ounce of sympathy or forgiveness for the meddling scum.

”Unfortunately for you Jung, I don’t give out second chances freely especially to traitors like you,” He rounded the desk and rested his behind on it, his polished shoes a few inches from the still unmoving man’s bowed head, “But I am giving you the benefit of choice.”

Mr. Jung lifted his head to meet his eyes but quickly avoided them again as he whimpered.

For whenever Kang Rowoon gives out choices, they are both in his favors. 

“On your feet.” 

Mr. Jung quickly scrambled on his feet at the powerful command.

The tycoon snapped his fingers to motion one of the guards standing nearby to bring a tablet to him, turned it on and gabe it to the man. The screen was showing very familiar people to Mr. Jung, familiar people tied and gagged into chairs with two masked men pointing pistols on their temples, fingers ready to pull the triggers. His eyes widened upon the realization.

It’s his son and wife! 

The young girl on the background flinched at the scene upon her. She knew of her father’s dirty deeds and his cruelty towards others. But this is the first time she can see it with her own eyes personally.

How monstrous her father had become.

”Your life or theirs?” Rowoon crossed his arms, waiting for Mr. Jung to give out his answer.

Once again, he cried. His legs gave out and he fell to his knees out of hopelessness.

”P-please spare them! Do what you want with me, I don’t care but not a single hair upon their heads should be touched!” The man pleaded.

”Agreed.” Rowoon nodded and then rounded the desk again to sit on the chair returned by one of the guards. He pulled one chamber from the desk and out he pulled a silver revolver.

”Seulgi.” 

The mentioned girl gasped, afraid at what her father will do next but nonetheless answered back to him with her small voice.

”Yes, father?”

”Come here, child.” He gestured for her to come closer as she took nimble steps until she is beside him.

”Now, now. You know what to do with this.” He took the weapon with his hand and reached out to one of Seulgi’s hands then placed it on her small hands.

”I don’t understand.” She murmured.

”Yes, you do. I taught you. Now, you must learn how to eradicate imbeciles who go against us. Go on, kill him and be finally the child I need. A strong warrior without mercy.” He proudly stated as he pushed the young girl in front of Mr. Jung.

The man was now silent, accepting his cruel fate.

He only hoped that Kang Rowoon really did spare his family.

Seulgi wanted to run. Run and never look back. She is in a situation where she had no choice but to comply unless she will get the worst punishments again.

Shakily, she raised the revolver to aim it on Mr. Jung. Her father taught her to cock the safety first before pulling the trigger and so she did.

Not wanting to look at him, she craned her neck to the side and squeezed her eyes shut before pulling the trigger.

Bang!

And a loud thump followed along with the choking and repulsive gurgling sounds which unbeknowst to her will be the subject of her nightmares for years to come.

She sneaked one look and quickly regreted it as she saw the man on the floor, gurgling on his blood and the sticky liquid pooled beneath his body, staining the floor in an ugly shade of crimson.

The bullet went through his neck, as he slowly succumbed to a painful death from blood loss. Seulgi cannot take her eyes off of him, frozen like a statue over what she had done.

A round of applause from her father broke her from her stupor as she slowly faced him, her grip on the weapon slackening until it fell to the floor. Sobs immediately racked her body and her eyes finally bursted into waterfalls.

"Child, I am proud of you. Dry your tears and come here."

She walked up to him and met his eyes.

Just how can he be this devilish?

"Seulgi, the amount of blood I shed to build this empire up is uncountable. It is necessary to keep us on the top. You will soon be like me."

She did think it was possible.

That she can be everything but humane.

"Clean the mess up, it's reeking here." Rowoon commanded.

Everything came crashing down on her.

This is her first kill.

And it surely won't be the last.

• • •

Seulgi awoke with a start, countless bullets of sweat covering her entire frame as she breathed heavily. Her hands had been painfully gripping the sheets until her knuckles lost their color. Raising a hand up, she carefully untangled the bird's nest that is her hair with a deep sigh.

Another nightmare.

This particular nightmare had been haunting her since the day she first murdered a man. At first, she tried to convince herself that it was okay, because he was far from innocent anyway.

But of course, only an insane person will justify her actions.

Who was she to decide the fate of a sinful man?

She shook off her thoughts and got up to take a shower. She needs to have her breakfast and be ready soon.

Today, she and Joohyun will be visiting the latter's father.

Removing her night wear, she proceeded to distractedly enter the shower as she turned the shower head on. Her thoughts were half thinking about her wife and half thinking about her nightmare. 

Strangely, the night she first slept beside Joohyun, none of the nightmares invaded her mind and she thankfully had the best sleep of her life.

However, since they both agreed to take things slow, that was the first and last time they slept together, both still adjusting with their respective personal space.

The kiss that occured that night was not also mentioned ever again, but it did not go ignored. She did notice even the smallest changes right after, the way Joohyun seemed even a little more comfortable with her, the small smiles they share from time to time, and the moments they spend alone with each other in complete but comfortable silence.

But no next kiss followed. And she's hungry for more, but Seulgi cannot and will not do anything that is unconsented.

Seulgi began lathering her soap on her body when she felt the circular metal on her finger. 

Oh right.

Her wedding ring.

She stopped all ministrations and eyed the ring with deep thoughts.

The ring was their mutual choice because it caught their attention after hours upon hours of looking for the ring that suited their taste.

It has a fourteen carat golden band with amethyst stones on the sides. Simple, yet elegant.

Like her Joohyun.

My Joohyun? Hold up right there bud. She may be your wife, but you're not yet there okay? Take it slow, woman. Take it step by step.

So she will. First, she needs to get her bath over with, dress up and walk down to have breakfast with her wife to start the day off. 

• • •

Okay, so the first step proved to be difficult as Seulgi groaned again in defeat, her tie still loose around her collar. Another try, but she still failed in forming even a simple windsor knot.

Losing her patience, she ripped it off with a small roar and threw it somewhere before walking down towards the kitchen to have her breakfast. The scent of delicious food wafted her nostrils as soon as she step foot in the kitchen, as she met the sight of Joohyum amd Taeyeon cooking together with a mild conversation here and there.

"Good morning!" She beamed.

"Good morning, Seulgi-yah. Have a seat, we're about to finish soon." Joohyun turned her back with a dazzling smile to greet her wife before focusing on the cooking again.

"Wait, don't you need me for something that I can help with?"

Taeyeon scoffed loudly, "You're like the worst cook I've ever known, kid. Really, none of my cooking had stuck into that brain of yours. Now go obey your wife and sit down, I'm not in the mood for a burnt pan early in the morning."

Seulgi let out a harrumph of offense before she set the table up for the three of them and then sat down, patiently waiting for the food.

Once the galbi-tang and bean sprout rice were set down, she immediately dug in to fill her empty stomach. Letting out a groan of satisfaction, she sent a thumbs up to Joohyun who was sitting beside her, and Taeyeon across from them.

However before she was about to finish, she noticed Joohyun's eyes on her, rapt observation in her stare.

"Fwat?" She ungracefully asked, her mouth still full of rice.

"Chew your food first." 

"Ogey." Joohyun guesses that meant 'okay.'

She went to flick a finger to her nose right after she saw Seulgi swallow her food, "Why are you not wearing a tie?"

"Oh this?" Seulgi gestured to her suit, "It's too bothersome."

"Well then, I can't have the CEO of KTI in an incomplete attire. Finish quickly so I can provide my help." 

Seulgi only nodded with a small blush. Even with the smallest things Joohyun showed her care.

"Fi Fwav a kwefchon-"

"Chew. Your. Food. First."

Taeyeon watched the entire domestic scene with a smirk of amusement.

• • •

Joohun pulled Seulgi by the wrist as she barged into the younger's walk-in closet. Her grip slackened until she completely let go of the wrist to search for a tie that matches her wife's expensive navy blue Armani modern fit suit. After careful rummaging, she let out a small aha! after finding a striped silver tie that looked perfect.

She turned to Seulgi who dutifully bowed her head a bit so that her shorter wife can reach around her neck to place the tie. Joohyun then began the steps to her knot.

"You know, I used to tie my father's neckties for him because he was just as helpless as you." She said, breaking the silence.

"What was he like?" Seulgi curiously asked.

"My appa was the best. Even though he was a very busy man, he managed to juggle the time between work and family without problems." Joohyun is now on her few final steps and Seulgi can't still see the knot her wife is creating because her back is to the mirror.

"What happened then?" She slapped her forehead because of her intrusive question to which the older woman giggled to, "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that ."

"Nonsense. We're married and one of the things that can drive a marriage to its downfall is secrets, though I greatly appreciate your respect for my privacy," She gave one last pull and checked the tie before dusting the invisible dirt from Seulgi's broad shoulders.

"Just like most people, the root of his problems were the people he befriended. He trusted the wrong people and the next thing he knew, everything he invested and worked hard for were snuffed out of him making his business go in shambles."

Ah, the story of a man who did a harmless thing such as giving faith to others but he was stabbed in the back hard.

"Is that why he became like that?" 

"Yes. At first he started drinking. Then came the gambling and next, the women he took home. My mother can only take so much, so she ran away."

"Your mother, how was she like?" She gave a sheepish look to Joohyun to which she shook her head in disapproval.

"You're far too respectful. Like I said, you can ask me and I'll answer," She gave a small swat to Seulgi's chest.

See? A battered wife.

"Sorry." Came the sheepish reply.

"I wish I can tell you things about my mother but when I was barely twelve, she and my father fought in front of me, so the trauma of it sort of made me forget pretty much everything about her. It didn't help that she ran away the next day so my father proceeded to brainwash me into totally forgetting and hating her. So I practically know nothing - how she looks like, what we did together, or simply her name."

Bae Sora.

The name came up on Seulgi's mind but she pushed it aside. She's not exactly loaded with answers for the question of how did she know except well I had you searched but I swear, I only saw your parents' name and nothing else before I asked Seungwan to burn the documents down.

She can imagine Joohyun getting angry, it's her entire life on those pages after all. Nobody will appreciate having their life being pried open.

"Ah..." Seulgi off mindedly answered, unable to find the words to convey, before Joohyun put her hands on her arms and twisted her to face the mirror.

"What do you think?"

Seulgi raised a hand cope a feel of the elegant knot.

"It looks fancy but kind of intimidating. It looks good." She commented.

"Ah yes, the trinity knot. Quite complicated but I enjoyed the steps."

Joohyun chuckled, before once again dragging her wife to the dresser and pushed her shoulders to sit her down.

"Now, I think your hair will look good in a bun. Got any hairpins and ties?" 

Seulgi pointed to one drawer to which Joohyun followed and procured the few said items. She began by running her hands through her hair gently to smoothen it, making Seulgi purr out from the satisfying feeling.

It feels good, all right? Don't judge her.

"You should think of your words before, Joohyun. It seems like I'm going to be the spoiled wife. First, my clothing and now my hair which are things that should be done by me. For goodness' sake you act like an unnie." She joked.

"Technically, I am the unnie." Joohyun quipped back.

She twisted her hair up and then began to stick one hairpin after the other to secure the bun.

"Should I call you unnie then?"

Joohyun huffed, "I am your wife Seulgi-yah, not your unnie."

"Sure, sure wifey." Seulgi replied with mirth in her eyes, meeting Joohyun's equally twinkling ones through the mirror.

"I want to ask something though."

"What is it?"

"Why the bags under your eyes?"

• • •

"Bold of you to pay me a visit right after sending me to this dirty and rotten place." The man seethed as he almost frothed at the mouth, looking at his daughter with all the hatred in the world, "And you!" He pointed to Seulgi, "How dare you show your face to me you fucking beast!" He almost began violently rutting against the steel bars separating him from the duo out of anger.

"Now, now Jin Seo. I don't think you're in position to speak like that." Seulgi calmly reprimanded, reminding him that he is in no place.

"How are you?" Joohyun asked, bewildering Seulgi.

The strange question threw the heiress off as she looked at Joohyun as if she had grown another head. Just why is she concerned over this pathetic excuse of a man's being? Though the lack of emotion in the voice intrigued Seulgi. She took it as a cue to zip her trap, it's not her business away.

"You fucking ask me how I am?" He let out a loud laugh, "You're just like your witch of a mother! Pretending to be concerned when it's your fault why I am here!"

"What happened to you before is not any of our faults, only your colleagues. You were left with no one to blame so you pointed your fingers to the people closest to you." 

"Your whore of a mother betrayed me! She found the "love of her life" right after my company went bankrupt! Tell me now why it is not her fault why I am hating her!"

"Now don't blame her if the man she loved became a monster! And don't be a hypocrite, you have been cheating on her first."

"That's not the point! You even had the audacity to bring that beast with you after knowing she beat your father up!"

"This beast you're talking about is my wife!"

Jin Seo outright shut himself up, disgust clear on his expression as he sneered.

"You married a woman!? That is disgusting!" He let out a maniacal chuckle then, "You really are your mother's daughter. Whoring yourself out to the richest people!"

Seulgi can't take it anymore as her right hand shot out and pulled him by the collar of his uniform. He let out a painful yelp when his face collided with the metal bars as he screamed for the officers to help him.

But of course, they didn't.

Nobody goes against Kang Seulgi.

It may be out of fear or respect or it might be both.

"Watch your words or I'll have a replay of what I did to you before." She spat out, her eyes darkening and her body shook in visible fury as her grip tightened and then slammed his face again on the bars. 

Seulgi almost let out a huff of satisfaction over his pain, dark thoughts surrounding her now, and she's unable to stop them.

But Joohyun can.

All her anger vanished when a small hand gripped her arm and a calm and velvety voice spoke out.

"Seulgi."

Well, most of her anger anyway. She inhaled and exhaled heavily before her hold on the collar loosened and Jin Seo pathetically dropped on the floor, shivering. His hands raised up to soothe the stinging pain on his cheek which is already swelling.

"I asked how are you, thinking you might be at least thinking over your actions. It's stupid of me of how I considered forgiving you if you ever decided to change but I was wrong." Joohyun said, her hand still on Seulgi's arm, consoling her by making small circular motions with her thumb.

It had been effective as Seulgi fought to keep her emotions at bay.

"Also, I came here to ask you where my mother is. I have an inkling that you do know where she might be."

Jin Seo growled.

"I have no care for that bitch anymore! You go and look for her when she left you and I was with you, your father!?"

Joohyun sighed and closed her eyes, willing herself not to burst out from impatience. 

There's really no hope left for him, is there?

Her hand snaked into Seulgi's and gripped it tightly, as if it's the last time she will, entwining their digits together.

”You’re no father of mine.” 

And for the third time that day, she pulled Seulgi by the hand to walk out from that prison and to walk out of being her father’s daughter.

• • •

It was only when they were in Seulgi’s car did the tears she fought so hard to hold back began streaming down her cheeks.

And Seulgi couldn’t do anything except gathering her in her arms to comfort her. She effortlessly pulled Joohyun from the passenger seat and sat her comfortably on her lap to hug her. She adjusted the seat and reclined it slightly to accommodate Joohyun’s space. 

Then, she coaxed the sobbing woman’s head to rest her face on the crook of her neck and Joohyun gripped her collar tightly, unmindful of the expensive fabric but Seulgi couldn’t care less.

She then made slow circles with her hands on her back, whispering comforting words to her which Joohyun nodded in agreement to.

”Shhh, there there just let it all out.”

”I got you okay? And you got me.”

”No one’s going to hurt you anymore.”

After thirty agonizing minutes, Joohyun’s sobs finally died down into small sniffles and Seulgi chuckled sadly at her face. She looked absolutely adorable with her puffy cheeks and red nose with bloodshot eyes.

”God, I’m so sorry for ruining your suit, look it’s now wrinkled and soaked with tears. That’s so pathetic of me.” Joohyun sniffled to which Seulgi waved a hand in dismissal.

”It’s not pathetic. You just lost your father, I get that. Crying is not a sign of weakness. To make you feel better, you look so cute right now.” She grinned to lighten up the mood and then held up her phone so that Joohyun can see her reflection. 

”Do you want to talk about it?” Seulgi asked when Joohyun squinted her eyes to study her reflection on the small screen.

”Yes, but not now.”

”Okay.”

She groaned in disgust and attempted to fix her hair when she suddenly remembered where she was.

Curled up.

Perched on Seulgi’s lap.

Seulgi’s arms around her waist.

Her ass on Seulgi’s thighs.

In the driver’s seat.

Anyone who would have saw the scene had already called the cops on them for public indecency.

”I.. uh.. um.. yeah.” She trailed off before scrambling to return to the passenger’s seat, unknowingly grinding on Seulgi’s thighs, both now sporting blushes on their cheeks.

Seulgi held back from spewing out a groan.

So much for taking it slow.

As soon as Joohyun was seated, she cleared her throat and fixed herself, an awkward silence falling upon them as she scooted near the door, embarrassed.

”Would you like to go somewhere?”

Seulgi asked, finally breaking the silence.

Joohyun turned her gaze to the heiress with incredulity.

”Go somewhere? Today’s your first day as the CEO! There is no way you’re not going to work.”

”Ah, but I’m not in the mood.”

”But you’re the boss! You’re not supposed to just get up and go.”

”Exactly. I am the boss and I can do anything I want, so excuse me if I want to be with my wife because I don’t want her to be alone right now. Like I said, nothing comes before you.”

It would be a huge lie to say that Joohyun’s blush did not intensify, her cheeks reddening even more.

God damn it, why is Seulgi making it hard for her to not fall?

Joohyun pondered over the fact that she’s now free falling and she can’t do anything to stop it. Every time Seulgi says such things, she can’t help but to have that feeling of blooming warmth in her stomach and her heart to pound incessantly in her ribcage.

”You know, you can’t always make excuses like that.” Joohyun huffed, crossing her arms.

”Seems like I still am going to be the one doing the spoiling after all!”

”And I’m not allowing you to do so!”

Well, Seulgi already is spoiling her. Not with gifts, or money and all that luxury but with her full attention and time.

”Jokes on you, not even Kang Joohyun can stop me.”

”Fine, fine! But this is the last time okay? I can’t have you becoming a sloppy CEO.”

If only Joohyun knew, this is only the first and surely won’t be the last.

”Believe me, I know how to manage the time between my wife and my job.”

A wink.

Stop the flirting please.

“Alright, but I’m not exactly sure where I want to go. You decide?”

Seulgi started the car, a full on and beautiful smile now on her lips. 

“Let’s go to the flower shop first.”

”You’re going to buy flowers?”

A smirk.

”Yes, for my umma.”

Seulgi pulled out from the parking lot before rounding the corner and continuing her words.

”We’re going to visit her.”

• • •

Joohyun watched the scene before her in complete silence, as Seulgi replaced the withered flowers with new and fresh daisies. She gave the younger woman time and space with her mother, as she knelt on the ground and Joohyun a step away from her.

Kang Hyon Je

Born: December 3, 1975

Death: July 17, 2006

”A loving mother, a strong wife and a trustworthy friend.

After Seulgi’s time with her mother alone, she fixed her position of full bow into a sit and gestured for Joohyun to come closer and she obeyed, following Seulgi’s relaxed form.

”Umma, this is Joohyun, my wife. Remember when you told me to look for someone who will make me not only happy but safe and protected? I am successful with my search. Lucky is not even enough to describe me.”

Joohyun redundantly blushed again, flustered at Seulgi’s words.

”Hi Mrs. Kang.” She greeted to the grave.

”Umma,” Seulgi corrected to which Joohyun shyly smiled at.

”Hi, umma.” She said again with a hint of happiness.

She never experienced having someone to call umma anyway, as her memories of her mom are still blurry to her.

”Umma, do you know that in less than a week we met and got married?” Seulgi chuckled, her hand reaching for Joohyun’s, “She has been so patient with me, understanding my reasons.”

Lie.

Seulgi is the patient one.

”She’s not telling you the truth, Mrs—Umma. If anything, she has been the one so patient to me.”

Joohyun argued back, making Seulgi blush and her grip tighten.

”I promised to make it up to her because I got her into this mess. She was a waitress, just like you were!”

Wait what? 

“What?” She asked aloud.

”Yes, my umma was a waitress in a small diner before.”

”Is that why even though you can afford lavish meals from the most expensive restaurants, you somehow stepped foot into the diner I worked in?”

”Partly, yes. When I was still a little girl, my umma wanted me to have a taste of the simple life. She used to take me to the amusement parks, we even escape from my father’s body guards because they’re way too protective! We dedicate at least one day a week to go to the diner where she used to work in.” Seulgi said with nostalgia in her tone, “I went to that diner you work for because I missed the greasy kind of breakfast but I kept going back because of this beautiful waitress with a wide but fake smile.”

”Cindy?” Joohyun jokingly asked, mentioning one of her co-workers.

Seulgi fake glared at her but nonetheless continued her story, “You know, it was in that diner where she met my father. A waitress and a businessman, the unlikely but perfect pair."

"Your father, what was he like?" It is Joohyun's turn to ask questions.

"He was... an ambiguous man, to say the least. He was very busy running the company, so I rarely see him but umma would always say that he loved me. Well, I do know so because despite his busy schedules he managed to take us out. Though, he changed greatly when my umma died."

Joohyun leaned closer to Seulgi as a form of comfort. 

"When I was ten, she suffered from a heart attack. That night, I lost not only my mother but also my father. He became a madman, he drowned himself into paperworks, business meetings and never came home while his daughter was left all alone to grow up by herself. It was Taeyeon-unnie who actually raised me."

"Well then, I need to thank her for doing a good job in raising you."

"No, you don't get it. I... I was not the same before. Anger and pain- insanity is what driven me to stay alive despite all those years of me doing such dirty deeds."

"Which are?"

Seulgi took a much needed deep breath. 

It's now or never.

Oh Joohyun, I hope you'll accept this monster in me.

If she does not, it will be fine with Seulgi. Nobody would want to marry and live under the same roof with a murderer.

"I have blood on my hands."

Joohyun's eyes were suddenly wide in astonishment, her hand raising to cover her mouth.

"W-what do y-you mean?"

Seulgi felt a slight pain in her chest, as if she felt her heart crack.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat this, I am far from the kind and thoughtful person that people painted me to be. With these hands, I killed countless people that my father ordered me to.”

”Please tell me that you’re joking.” Came the request in the form of a whisper.

Seulgi was unable to reply.

”I c-can’t believe it! All this time I’ve been living with a murderer!?” Joohyun loudly asked, as she scooted back from Seulgi as far as she can, afraid of the taller woman.

Seulgi tried to mask the hurt in her face as she tried to reach out for Joohyun to explain but the latter only flinched back, her form giving out a shudder of fear.

You’re a murderer.

You don’t deserve love.

You don’t deserve happiness.

You don’t deserve redemption.

You don’t deserve Joohyun.

The crack started expanding, making her almost hyperventilate.

”Joohyun please, let me exp—“

She tried to reach out again but Joohyun slapped the hand away, hugging herself as goosebumps began dotting her arms, fright present in her orbs.

“Just take me back to my room, please. I don’t know if I can face you right now.”

And Seulgi’s heart finally shattered into a million pieces.

• • •

”Liars and traitors.”

”Filch from them!”

”To strike fear on them!”

”Benefit of choice.”

”Your life or theirs?”

”Please spare them!”

”Seulgi.”

”Seulgi.”

“Seulgi.”

”Seulgi!”

”Seulgi!”

”SEULGI!”

Seulgi’s eyes suddenly opened and she shot up, bullets of sweat once again covering her frame in a thin sheet. She was baffled that she awoke to the sight of Joohyun with concern lacing her gaze as she shook her awake.

What is she doing here?

Am I having a nightmare again?

“Thank goodness you’re awake!” Exclaimed Joohyun as she pulled Seulgi for a hug. 

Seulgi’s hands twitched, wanting to return it but refrained from doing so.

Just a few hours ago, the awkward silence and heavy tension covered the two as she drove back to the penthouse. Joohyun never spared her a glance before she went and slammed the door of her room and the click of the lock echoed.

Seulgi wordlessly entered her own room with regrets and thoughts of I shouldn’t have told her and I’m so stupid for making her marry me.

She bitterly undid the knot of her necktie which has been diligently formed by her wife and did not even bother changing into her night wear as she removed her shoes and coat before throwing her emotionally exhausted form on the bed.

She succumbed into sleep right after.

”Joohyun? What happened?” Came her muffled reply, as her head is still cradled on Joohyun’s chest.

”You were having a nightmare!”

Everything came back to Seulgi as she pushed Joohyun away in panic but made sure to be gentle as she scooted to the far end of the bed and dropped her feet on the floor, holding her head with her hands as she inhaled and exhaled to calm her still palpitating heart.

”I’m sorry I never told you and for selfishly making you marry somebody like me.” She quietly told Joohyun who was still sitting behind her.

Joohyun looked at her hunched and defeated form. Seulgi for the first time looked so weak in her eyes and Joohyun knew it is her fault.

She did not even bother listening to her!

For all she knows, Seulgi might have been forced to do those.

So after careful thinking, she decided to knock on Seulgi’s door even though it is already late to apologize and listen to her attentively.

She panicked when she heard muffled groans and pained screams so without knocking she barged in on the room and found Seulgi, still asleep but it seemed like her dreams are being haunted. Her body twisted and turned as she mumbled out incoherent words while her body is soaked in sweat.

”No, you don’t have to be sorry. You’re so brave for telling me even though you know I might leave you.” Joohyun said, “But I made vow didn’t I? I’m staying here with you for as long as you want me to be.”

Seulgi did not reply.

”Do you still want me with you?”

This time, the woman whose back is turned to her nodded her head.

“God, how could you still talk to me without fear knowing I am a killer!”

Joohyun flinched but she put her hand on her wife’s trembling back.

”Marrying you means I accept all your sides.”

”I bet you even regret marrying me!”

The older woman pulled Seulgi forcefully to face her. She almost bursted into tears when she was greeted with the sight of Seulgi, her bottom lip trembling, her eyes red and her cheeks sticky with tears.

And Joohyun hated herself for being the cause of it.

She threw herself on the crying woman’s lap as she repeatedly sputtered out her apologies while she consoled Seulgi. Her hands delicately brushed off each tear and kissed the cheeks when they were dried.

”Never.” 

She stated, making Seulgi look up at her with hope shimmering in her orbs.

”I’m sorry I did not even listen to you.”

”You don’t need the explanation from me.”

”But I do! I want to know why you did that! I want to know so bad why you have been having these nightmares! Yes, Seulgi! I’ve known your nightmares since day one! I was only waiting for you to speak to me about them!”

Seulgi’s head bowed to avoid Joohyun’s eyes.

So she noticed?

”Will you please stay with me?”

”Of course!” Joohyun vigorously nodded as she caressed Seulgi’s cheeks. They only gazed into each other’s eyes with a silent understanding.

Joohyun will stay with her no matter what.

”Do you want to talk about it?”

Seulgi cleared her throat.

”When I was twelve, one of my father’s trusted colleagues went behind his back and meddled with his business. My father... he.... he forced me.”

Joohyun completely understood. 

She knew it was Seulgi’s first kill.

”I tried so hard to convince myself that I am only doing people a favor because I killed a sex trafficking lord but I am not one who gets to decide what should be the fate of a man.”

Joohyun nodded, understanding where Seulgi came from. The girl thought at first that her deeds are good.

”But it did not stop right there. Father practically made me his executioner. Each people he ordered me to kill were either people who betrayed him or his rivals.”

”Is that why you have nightmares?”

”Yes. I was scared that there was this one time I even enjoyed littering bullets on this one man who is one of my father’s colleagues once I knew he drugged and raped countless young girls. I can’t help the sick satisfaction over ending his life it disgusted me! I am a monster.”

“No you’re not! It was your father.” Joohyun choked out, saddened over the fact that her wife had to go through such torture.

”He was the monster, not you. Never you. All those people you killed deserved to die. You’re not a monster Seulgi-yah, you’re a victim. A survivor of your father’s wrath.”

Now Joohyun understood why Seulgi only introduced her to her mother when her father’s grave is beside his wife’s but did not question why Seulgi did not even spared a glance to the stone.

Her father is an evil and cruel man for making his young daughter his own weapon for killing.

”I’m sorry for doubting you. I promise to listen to you next time.” She sniffled and Seulgi only nodded, before pulling Joohyun in a hug, this time it was her to initiate it.

”Apology accepted.”

Joohyun outright melted into the hug as she settled comfortably on Seulgi’s lap. They had managed to situate themselves into this position without even noticing. She frowned when she noticed her wife is still on her suit, sans necktie and coat.

“Why are you still in those clothes?” She asked but never waited for an answer.

She stood up and entered Seulgi’s closet but pouted when she couldn’t find a night wear.

”Just a second.” She told Seulgi before dashing to her room to fetch a pair of shorts and an oversized tee. Then, she ran back to the still sitting Seulgi and helped her change into the clothing while still keeping her eyes respectfully glued on the headboard when Seulgi changed.

Seulgi took a deep whiff on the smell splashed on the shirt discreetly, making her almost purr in delight over Joohyun’s calming scent.

After, they settled by sitting beside each other, bodies pressed side by side and their knees drew up while their arms hug them.

”You know, I only started helping people because I thought that was the only way I could repay for my sins and to make me forget temporarily about my father. But not too long after, I grew to love doing it. The smiles on their faces made me happy myself. It was priceless.”

”Damn, how are you real?”

Seulgi chuckled hoarsely, “I should be the one asking you that.”

”Nah, nah don’t discredit yourself. You helped Sooyoung into becoming the woman she is right now, you helped people into finding jobs, you helped people to find hope in life, for pete’s sake you even helped me by marrying me! How can someone be this crazy selfless?”

”It runs in the blood, I guess.” Seulgi stuck out her tongue playfully, hinting that it was her umma who had been the most thoughtful person she knew.

Joohyun chuckled, the atmosphere finally becoming light and comfortable.

”It’s already almost 1AM, I’m tired, you’re tired so I’ll leave you to your devices and go back to my room okay?”

”Wait, no.” Seulgi settled her head on a pillow and then suddenly pulled Joohyun and cuddled her, making the smaller lady yelp in surprise over the brash action.

”Do you want me to stay with you tonight?” Asked Joohyun, as she giggled from Seulgi’s warm neck.

”Wanna know a secret?”

”Hm?”

”They haunted me every night but when I first slept beside you, they stopped.”

Joohyun nodded in understanding before she reciprocated the cuddling as she began humming a low lullaby to Seulgi. 

It was by far the best dreamless sleep of her life.

• • •

“Joohyun?”

”Hm, what?”

Came the groggy reply.

”Kiss good night?”

A huff.

”You’re such a baby.”

”Your baby. Now kiss me woman.”

”Brat.”

A kiss on the right cheekbone.

”Are you for real? What are you, eight?”

A sleepy grunt followed by a proper and firm kiss on the lips.

”Now that’s better. Much better.”

Then Seulgi finally, finally succumbed into a deep slumber.


	5. Irene

Chief Executive Officer of Kang Trading Industries, Kang Seulgi almost threw her laptop in childish frustration. She had been locked up in her office for days already, slaving herself away to the paperworks and online meetings with partners and stockholders. A cross between a sigh and a yawn, she rubbed her tired and overworked eyes. The imagery of her bedroom flashed in front of her closed lids, she missed sleeping on her huge fluffy bed because goddamn, her ass is already imprinting itself on her office due to the extended stay.

Pah, who the fuck was she kidding, she missed sleeping beside Joohyun, not the bed. Cold and hard floors do not matter, heck even in this damn office chair she can manage but she needs her wife with her even if the woman has to sleep on her lap.

Speaking of Joohyun, - kind and understanding Joohyun - her wife took it upon herself to take care of her meals and then excused herself as quickly as she can because in one of her visits inside Seulgi's home office, the CEO acted like a deprived dog, like she is starved of affection. Much like a dog, she began being clingy and forgotten about her work, making up the excuse that she needs to have a "quality time with the wifey" which the older woman indulged to but set up a time.

She hated being a hindrance.

So, with much reluctance, she made an agreement with Seulgi that she'll visit her wife during meal times and eat with her. Seulgi of course hated this set up, she wanted to be around Joohyun at all times but puppy eyes and whining - yes, whining from the almighty CEO - can only do so much especially if your wife is a cyborg when it comes to steeling herself from giving in.

Can somebody please spell the word whipped?

She once again refreshed all the data she had and asked for financial reports but none of them can seem to find out what caused the imbalance on the accounting of the companies' money. Holding herself back from snarling out like an animal, she laid out the facts to the imbalances in funds. It's either they were the ones making a mistake (which is close to being impossible because it's rare to get away from a Kang's sight), or someone is embezzling them and is so smartly getting away from it all. This is the issue that had been causing her to have no time to be with her wife and to say it angers her is an understatement.

A resounding gentle knocks rapped on her door which evaporated most of her frustration. She checked the time and was glad to see it's dinner time already, so she'll be able to take a short rest, eat a hearty meal with her wife and have small talk.

"Come in!" She called out and immediately, the rich wood of her door opened and in revealed her wife expertly holding a tray of their dinner for tonight, sporting an apron (which Seulgi knew she had forgotten to take off) and simple jeans and a shirt.

"Good evening, Seulgi-yah," Joohyun greeted making the CEO perk up with a greeting of her own.

Joohyun set down the tray with practiced ease and then sat down on the chair across Seulgi's. Tonight, she decided to ask for Taeyeon to teach her about Italian cuisine and they started with one of the easiest recipes, the classic spaghetti and meatballs.

"How's work?" Joohyun asked, as she took a forkful of the delicious pasta. The balanced tasted of tomatoes and slight sweetness satisfied her tastebuds and she can tell that Seulgi also liked the food because the woman practically inhaled the plate. She sadly took a once over her wife's obviously tired form out of concern.

She's in dire need of a peaceful sleep.

Joohyun knew there's something going on with the company's audits. She knows she's no expert but she'll try to help with all the knowledge she has in terms of accounting, whta use is her degree anyway when she can't even help her wife appease her troubles with accounting?

Tonight, she entered the office with a goal set in mind.

Tonight, she will spoil her wife with attention and let her get all the rest she needed.

Whether Seulgi likes it or not.

"It's like hell," Seulgi groaned, "Especially if you won't give me the opportunity to spend time with you! I missed you!" She harrumphed.

"But you see me more than five times a day, and I even dine with you." Joohyun raised a brow.

"That's not enough though," Seulgi pouted, "Don't you miss me too even just a tiny bit?"

"I do, Seulgi-yah, I do too, very much so. I'm actually here not to only feed you but to also provide my help. So quit being a child and finish your food quickly." Sternly replied.

"Really?!" Seulgi excitedly asked with Joohyun responding with a nod and a small smile. She gobbled up the delicious meal even quicker she thought she possibly set a world record for being the fastest eater of pasta.

As soon as they were done, and their stomachs satiated, Seulgi logged in her laptop and showed the balance sheet to Joohyun who was ready to listen attentively. She gave a quick rundown of the situation to her wife who was standing beside her office chair, slightly leaning in to get a better view of the information and soaking it all up.

"Here is the balance of the first half of this year and here," She gestured using the arrow to the list of numbers which are quiet dizzying to the eyes of others,"Is for the second half."

Joohyun observed how the audits of the first half of the year had been consistent and not much changed which is actually a good sign. However, the second half piqued her interest. The balance became inconsistent, the used funds for resources raised drastically and each month, more millions of won added. This is suspicious enough.

"I see, so there had been a fluctuation in the use of the company's funds, right? Can I see the itemized version of this?"

Seulgi quickly obliged as she opened up another file and then slightly tilted the laptop towards her direction. Joohyun squinted her eyes in concentration as she scanned each and every purchase made by the company from other companies while also trapping her bottom lip between her pearly whites. A brow raised each time a realization came upon her, and her wife who was silently watching Joohyun with her cute mannerisms tried so hard not to pull the clearly oblivious woman to her lap, put her arms around her waist and cuddle her then inhale her scent. Her wife looks so professional even with the apron still neatly tied around her nape and waist.

She reached out to pull the knot of the apron to remove it from her wife, startling the woman.

Joohyun almost jumped in surprise, "Relax, I'm just about to remove the apron." Seulgi whispered.

The blush crept it up from Joohyun's neck to her pale face, tinting it red as she laughed off the embarrassment. She really is starting to become forgetful when it comes to the apron which became like her nature to wear. She quickly went to remove it but Seulgi gently swatted her hands away to do it herself.

"Let me." Seulgi said as she pulled the ribbon on the nape and the next one on the waist as Joohyun tried to concentrate on the numbers again.

Damn it, now she's back to square one!

Stupid Kang Seulgi and her need for physical contact!

Then, Seulgi's final string of resistance tore, when she noted the blush and the way Joohyun bit her lip again from shyness once the apron is removed and thrown to the chair in front. The adorable sight made Seulgi click her tongue and then pulled Joohyun by the waist and made her sit on her lap.

This time, the smaller woman cannot help her yelp as she went down ass first on Seulgi's lap.

"S-seulgi?" She asked stuttering, tilting her neck to face the younger woman.

"Keep going, I just thought it might even be more comfortable if you take a seat won't you?"

Or you're making an excuse to cuddle me. Sneaky brute.

She can use another chair, but of course, Kang Seulgi and her constant craving for close proximity is both a blessing and a curse.

A blessing because it actually shows that Joohyun is wanted, and don't get her wrong, she loves skinship too. She is only better at restraining compared to someone she knows.

A curse because Seulgi is clingy as heck and wants it twenty four-seven.

Okay, it's not exactly a curse because Joohyun can say the same for herself.

Hello, she is even having a hard time eating without her wife's noisy presence.

"O-oh, okay." Joohyun replied as she went back to scanning again but this time, she can smell Seulgi's strong citrus scent which gives off a calming effect and can feel the woman's arms securely around her waist. The said woman was also slightly paying attention to the balance sheet but mostly, she's busy sniffing her wife's collar which smells like the fabric conditioner she favors and then pulling the woman even more for added closeness as she rumbled deep within her chest.

Joohyun leaned into the touch a bit as she scrolled down, savoring the half cuddle session. After finalizing for minutes, comfortable silence in the air, she was able to come up with a conclusion.

"I think I found the problem." She said.

"You did?" Seulgi asked with a hint of surprise and wonder..

"Uh-huh, I think so. Has the company gotten into some sort of an emergency? Say, are there some damaged equipment?"

"No, our equipment is regularly changed so damages rarely happen and if they do, we have a separate emergency fund for that."

"How about the papers you needed? For example, for the printing purposes?"

"Oh, about that. Actually we have a new contract with another company that provides us with even cheaper and top quality paper compared to the previous one."

"Then it's settled," Joohyun clapped once as she had shown where imbalances came from and how Joohyun put two and two together, "See this? Compare this month's to those of the first six months. Have you noticed how the funds used for those had risen even though you said you are actually purchasing cheaper paper? And look, there's a list here of equipment which are not actually necessary. They might have been placed there for ghost employees which meant the money had been taken from the company's funds and audited but not used for equipment. I'm afraid there is a case of embezzlement here. Right now, the amount of funds being taken are a little bit over half a billion won."

Seulgi processed each word Joohyun said as her frustration returned but this time with a hint of anger.

Anger, not because of losing millions which is nothing to her - she has a net worth multi-billion for pete's sake! - but because embezzlement is also a form of lying and deceiving.

And Kangs hate liars with a burning passion.

But she quickly and wordlessly typed the information word by word as said by her wife and sent it to her team.

She calmed herself because that actually helped a fat lot with the problem. Joohyun, a former waitress with a degree on accounting but no experience can give a run for her company's accountants' money.

"I'm impressed, Joohyun. What took a team for days only took you an hour all by yourself. I think I married a genius." She praised proudly.

"It's fairly easy, you just need to do the math," Joohyun smugly replied, her ego stroked from the praise, "That's a job well done today isn't it?"

"Yes, and it's all thanks to you." She pulled Joohyun for another hug as she beamed brightly but tiredly, though the warmth and presence was rudely snuffed away from her as the woman on her lap stood up and then pulled Seulgi by the hands.

"Have you decided taking my offer of applying to KTI yet?"

"I'm still considering it but for now, let's go to sleep all right? You deserve it."

"Wait, I just need to ask why you wanted to look for a job when I can provide everything you need and want."

Joohyun sighed, "I know, Seulgi but what is my use if I just go around jobless? I like being useful and I love working. Please don't ask that question again, Kang Seulgi because I did not marry you for money."

Seulgi's eyes widened, realizing how hurtful her question got.

"I'm sorry, I just really want you to live a comfortable life. I respect your decisions, Joohyun, I really do.You can even take a job you like, as long as you don't get hurt then I will respect it. Please forgive me for asking you an absurd question." She solemnly said, scratching her nape but the hand she used was pulled by Joohyun's own and they were entwined perfectly.

She looked up and met Joohyun's warm gaze, "It's okay, I know you want to give me a good life. Thank you for respecting my decisions. Come now, we don't need to discuss further, you need to sleep."

Seulgi let Joohyun pull her by the hand towards their now shared bedroom. Joohyun finally "moved in" with her just a few days ago. She was slightly reluctant about leaving her purple colored room but a bed with Kang Seulgi and a room colored light yellow, she thinks the latter is a whole lot better.

As soon as they were ready for bed, she gave a lazy smile to Joohyun.

"Thank you again, Joohyun. You were really a big help."

"Thank me by cuddling me." Joohyun gave a fake frown, reaching out her arms like a child.

Sometimes, she's the one who acts like a child between the two.

"As you wish ma'am." Seulgi gently replied, prepping herself for a good cuddle.

But her bone popped when she moved her arm to embrace her wife. Said wife immediately eyed her shoulder as she reached out a hand on her shoulder and kneaded the flesh there. Seulgi hissed a bit from the slight discomfort of her tight muscles being squeezed.

"You're tense. I guess it's from the several days of just sitting and having power naps on that dreadful office chair."

Seulgi was not able to reply when her body was suddenly turned so now she is on her stomach, face down.

She groaned when Joohyun swiftly moved and nestled herself on her lower back with legs on her sides and then placed dainty fingers on her tense shoulders. Then, Joohyun proceeded to expertly knead her tense shoulders making her let out a groan which she quickly muffled on the pillow.

"J-Joohyun, wha--?"

"I'm giving you a massage, so just relax."

"Sweet!"

• • •

"Seulgi-yah?"

"Hmm?"

"What if I decided to be a garbage woman though? Would you still respect that?"

It was just a joke, really and Seulgi chuckled sleepily. Trust Joohyun to wake you up from slumber just to ask a silly question.

"Then you'll be the most beautiful garbage woman in the world."

• • •

You ever get that feeling when you're about to try something new and it half scares you but at the same time it excites the hell out of your bones? This is what Joohyun is currently experiencing, as she prepared for the interview with KTI's Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of the accounting department, Choi Sooyoung to apply for the position of a junior analyst.

Initially, Sooyoung had talked to Seulgi about providing Joohyun with the accounting manager position but Joohyun politely refused, saying she prefers it if she climbs the ranks organically which satisfied the VP greatly.

She knew of the legendary Choi who is actually only a year older than her but already achieved so much. Many people call her a strict boss when need be, but she is mostly easy going as long as she knows you don't touch the company's finance for your personal needs. Hell, she is so strict, she is the one who conducts interviews and is a beast whenever she leads the team.

She is like a bomb sniffing dog, except she is an expert in sniffing out those who play with the company's money.

Seriously, don't touch the money or she'll come all barking and biting.

Fixing herself in the mirror again, she felt slightly satisfied over her choice of attire which is an expensive cream colored blouse paired with an equally expensive (all thanks to a certain Kang) dark colored pencil skirt. Then on her feet were black pumps which she does not need to say the price of. Her midnight waist-length hair is up in a bun.

Joohyun is still trying to get used to the rich life.

Today, she and Seulgi went to the company together and she can tell how excited her wife is over the fact that she actually did consider working with her.

■ ■ ■

"So you're going to be like my boss' boss?"

"You can say that, yeah but I prefer it if you call me your wife, not your boss' boss."

'Well at work, you're my boss' boss. I thought we agreed on keeping this strictly professional about us?"

"We did, but I'm still your wife first and foremost."

"Fineeee."

"Good. Good luck on your interview today all right?"

"I will. See you later, Seulgi-yah."

"Call me if you need anything. See you, wifey."

■ ■ ■

"So, Mrs. Kang, it's nice to meet you, please take a seat."

Joohyun put up a brave front against the taller woman who gestured for her to take a seat after exchanging pleasantries.

"So, tell me about yourself."

Joohyun gulped, feeling extremely nervous already. Choi Sooyoung was only sitting in front of her but she oozed the natural confidence you cannot find in anyone else easily.

"To be frank, VP Choi, I haven't had any experience in accounting as of yet. After I graduated, I was unfortunately only able to work as a waitress due to personal reasons."

VP Choi nodded as she scanned Joohyun's quite impressive resumé. Her grades from when she was in college were close to perfect. Joohyun did nothing but watch her with nervous discomfort.

A seed of doubt suddenly planted itself on her brain. Last night, Seulgi said Sooyoung is willing to provide her with a position higher than she expected. They haven't had an interview yet and the woman is already willing to have her when she is a monster in financing? So, she doubted herself. The ugly head of the demon of doubt reared as it fed her with the thoughts that what if she actually is offered with the position because Seulgi is her wife? What if Choi Sooyoung is only accepting her into the team because Seulgi said so?

"You have a 4.0 GPA, Mrs. Kang. Anyone with that kind of grade will certainly be granted a position in my team. You surpass even some of my best analysts. You have a very impressive resumé if you were to match yours with those of fresh graduates'. Mrs. Kang, how would you like to discuss our contract?"

Wait, that's it? Just like that?

"I'm sorry, but I think this is going uh... suspiciously fast?" Joohyun's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Yes it is, because I want you on my team and not anybody else's. You're way too valuable to let go of."

Joohyun cleared her throat and straightened her spine. Now, everything's getting even more suspicious. What if Seulgi made sure this woman takes Joohyun as a part of her team so that Joohyun does not have to go far away from her?

Then, VP Choi chuckled, sensing the conflict in Joohyun's face.

"Normally, if I ask those golden words, interviewees are ecstatic. Let me guess, you think Seulgi ordered me into hiring you?"

Joohyun's jaw almost dropped in surprise. How did she know?

"H-how...?" Swest began beading on her eyebrows.

The VP chuckled before closing her resume down and then faced Joohyun with a relaxed smile.

"You see, in the world of power, those who are on the top of the food chain sometimes do measures to take those who are close to them at the bottom, for them to make their way on the top too. You get what I'm talking about?"

Joohyun attentively nodded, confused. Of course she knew how powerful connections are especially if you have one or more with powerful people. You have no job but you're related to a person with a company? Then there's a huge chance you get to work in their company without going through interviews. That is the privilege if you are in touch with those in power.

"How should I address you comfortably? Seulgi is a friend of mine, not just my boss."

"Irene would be fine."

"Okay, then! So, as I was saying, Irene, we take only those who deserve to be here. I assure you, you are here because of your skills. Don't think I don't know how you helped the company in finding out the problem with the finances."

"Seulgi told you?"

"Of course she did and that kid is so proud. Anyways, you must be familiar with how strict I am, right?"

"Yes."

"Even though Seulgi is my boss, she still does not get to have a say on who I should hire. What she only did is hand me your resumé beforehand and asked me to look through it, that's why I already knew about your credentials before you give it to me. Sure, Seulgi paved the way, but I assure you Irene, with or without CEO Kang, you would have made it into my team. I already have my eye on you before and then you made me even more impresed after that aide with our financial trouble."

That gave Joohyun the comfort she needed. This interview is a lesson to her. She needed to have more faith in Seulgi because she can trust that her wife will not deceive her just like that especially when it comes to Joohyun's choices in life.

"So, are you now ready to discuss our contract?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Joohyun smiled in excitement which VP Choi returned too.

"When will you able to start working, Irene?"

"Anytime would be fine."

"That's great! So I'll have our contract arranged and you can start next week."

Irene stood up to bow, the Vice President following with a bow of her own.

"Thank you for giving me this position, VP Choi. I will work hard."

"Welcome to my team, Irene."

• • •

Joohyun patiently waited for Seulgi as she walked towards the elevators to head down the lobby. Seulgi texted her that she is about to wrap the meeting with the board of directors up in half an hour. Since this is her first time to be inside one of KTI's establishments, she decided to pass the time by walking around some areas since this will her workplace in a week's time. She pressed the button for lobby after entering the empty elevator. However, before the doors closed down, a hand went in to stop it and in went a tall man in a suit and a small, gentle smile on his face. He was quiet handsome too, Joohyun noticed, his hair dark and cleanly swept back and physique fit.

The man seemed to be having a hard time balancing the work sheets piled highly in his grip. It wasn't long when the folders began falling down and he watched them helplessly, flustered as he mumbled out a small apology to Joohyun. Deciding to help him, she too bent down to help him gather the files and after that, he looked very grateful.

"My apologies again, Miss...?"

"Irene," She replied, shaking the hand held out.

"Once again, thank you for the help." He shook their hands before pressing a button for the lobby.

They're on the fourteenth floor, so it will take long before they reach the last one.

"Where to, Miss Irene?" He turned his head to face her.

"Oh, I'll be on the lobby too." Joohyun replied.

"All right, by the way my name's Oh Sehun from the accounting department," Then he squinted his eyes and then scanned her features, "Come to think of it, you look familiar."

"I do?"

She's pretty sure she never met this man before in her life.

"Yeah, you look like my future girlfriend."

Joohyun's eyes widened as she tried not to choke on her own saliva. This man sure is straightforward with his flirting, not to mention his pick up line is too corny.

"Oh, haha..." Joohyun let out a nervous laugh, before raising her right hand adorned with her wedding ring to Sehun's face, his eyes widening in realization and cheeks reddening in embarrassment. In a flash, he was in a panic mode, sputtering out apologies left and right it startled Joohyun.

"God, it really is a bad day today! First, the Vice President almost fired my slacking ass, and then I flirted with a married woman. What's next? God, I'm so sorry Mrs. Irene!" He covered his face and bowed furiously and repeatedly.

"It’s okay, Mr. Sehun. It's not your fault." She smiled understandingly, making the mentioned man let out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, that was embarrassing and to be frank a shitty way of flirting." He huffed, antagonizing himself.

Joohyun chuckled, "Yeah, it is."

"But on a serious note though, you really do look familar. Are you perhaps applying for a job here?" He asked, while adjusting his grip on the papers.

"I am," Joohyun affirmed, "For the position of junior analyst."

Sehun then clapped his hands once loudly - though with difficulty given his occupied arm - "Ha! Then you're the Irene that Vice President Choi is talking about, am I right? You're hot stuff right now!"

Joohyun tilted her head in curiosity, "Really?"

"Yes," He smiled, "After that embezzling issue, everyone pretty much praised the person who helped us. We're working on investigating now, and it won't take long before we find out who's behind it all thanks to you."

"Woah, I didn't know it went around, I thought only the accounting department knew about it." Joohyun blushed, shy from the sudden information.

She is not one used to the spotlight.

"Well, initially yes, but office rumors are unavoidable and the next thing we know, everyone's anticipating your arrival. So how did you interview go?"

Joohyun's smile brightened, "It went quiet well actually, and I passed!"

"That's great! Then I get to work with the legendary rookie!" Sehun chirped.

The doors now opened, revealing the lobby to the two.

"Well, this is us. I look forward to working with you, Mrs. Irene. Let's forget about my today's stupidity okay? Hwaiting!" He cheered, before heading towards right which Joohyun was thankful for because she's heading towards left and it's awkward if they walk the same direction after saying their goodbyes.

• • •

Once they were seated in the car, Seulgi turned to the passenger seat and smiled at her wife who seemed ecstatic too.

"How was VP Choi to you? Did she tear you apart and gobbled up your remains?" Seulgi joked, making Joohyun giggle.

Joohyun shook her head, while securing her seatbelt, "Quiet the opposite, actually. Everything went well and I'm starting by next week."

"That's great news! This calls for a celebration, how about a dinner date on my yacht?"

Joohyun's eyes widened, "You have a yacht?"

Seulgi smirked arrogantly, "Three, actually."

Of course, she is a billionaire after all, how can Joohyun forget? She practically experiences the most luxurious things in life.

“That sounds lovely. Lead the way, wife."

Seulgi smiled at the term of endearment before backing out of the reserved space for the CEO (oh yeah, it's hers now, suck that father Kang). She's happy now that Joohyun is slowly accepting her luxurious offers without her wife getting guilty over the expensive lifestyle. The young billionaire can't wait to spoil her Joohyun rotten.

She'll gladly go broke for the woman anyway.

Seulgi wants to give her the world.

• • •

Their glasses clinked together as the romantic atmosphere and soft music in the background made Joohyun feel relaxed and happy.

”Congratulations for the successful interview,” Seulgi said before she took a sip from her champagne glass as Joohyun followed suit.

”Thank you, Seulgi-yah.” Joohyun replied, smiling.

After they went home to dress up, Seulgi in a different suit and tie with another intricate kind of knot (thanks to her creative wife) and Joohyun in a backless (she thinks Seulgi likes it when she wears clothing exposing her back judging from the way her breath hitches every time) body hugging midnight dress that reached all the way below her knees and another pair of stilettos, the couple drove an hour to the docks before they boarded Seulgi’s yacht.

As soon as their meal was set, which was both steak for the two, they dug in.

”You know, I read in a book that there are some people who name their yachts. Do you name yours?”

Seulgi nodded, “As a matter of fact, I do. This one we’re in now is my smallest and the first ever yacht I have owned. I named it Hyon, after my mother. The second one, which is in Ansan, my birthplace, was named after my great grandmother, Elizabeth. My great grandfather met her during one of his trips to Europe, they fell in love and got married. My father said she was very beautiful in her time and she is very kind. My two yachts were named after two women who I look up to.”

“Your great grandmother looks like a very sweet woman, I wish I had the opportunity to meet her.” Joohyun replied.

“I was barely a month when she passed away due to old age, so I can say the same.” Seulgi said.

After swallowing her piece of steak, Joohyun contemplated asking about the third yacht, “You said you have three yachts, what about the third one?”

Seulgi met her curious gaze before she let out a guilty laugh, and setting her cutlery down, “I slipped before, huh? It was supposed to come out as a surprise though,” She scratched her nape, a habit she has when she feels uneasy.

“A surprise? For what?” Joohyun raised a brow.

“It’s not for what, it’s for whom. Specifically, you.” Seulgi explained.

“Me? What about me?” Joohyun is now confused. A surprise for her?

“I was supposed to tell you this later on, but you asked now so yeah...” Seulgi trailed off, “My third and newest yacht which I bought a day before our wedding was supposed to be my wedding gift for you but I don’t know how to say it because I know you don’t like over the top gifts.”

“Yes, I don’t.” Joohyun confirmed, shooting daggers towards Seulgi’s direction, making the receiver of death glares gulp.

“Well I bought it already, and I’ll take you there someday, I named it Irene—“

Joohyun gasped, cutting off Seulgi unexpectedly, making Seulgi look at her in confusion. Joohyn was silent for a solid half minute before she opened her mouth to speak.

“Y-you named a yacht after m-me?” She asked in a small voice, pointing to herself.

“I did. Named it after the most important woman I have in my life.” Seulgi proudly stated, giving her a grin, her eyes shaping into crescents.

Joohyun covered her open mouth, tears beading in her eyes but she fought to keep them at bay. Seulgi never lied to her, she can see the sincerity when Seulgi said she is the most important to her.

Give it to that stupid Kang to make me feel this happy to the point I’m about to ugly cry!

She felt her heart squeeze inside her chest cavity, her stomach having that funny feeling again but her tears betrayed her. A lone tear escaped, and as it ran down her pale cheek, Seulgi’s panic overtook her.

“Shit!” She exclaimed before standing up and going over to Joohyun who is now slightly sniffling, “Wait, Joohyun I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have bought the yacht, I know it’s too much, please don’t cry I’ll get rid of—!” She was hushed when Joohyun pulled her by the lapel of her coat and then embraced her. The position was quiet awkward because Joohyun was still sitting down and Seulgi is slightly bending down to accommodate her wife’s height. The older woman’s face is pressed to her jacket so Seulgi returned the tight hug.

“You idiot, I’m not crying because I’m sad or angry. I’m happy, Seulgi-yah!” The tearful woman said, as she stood up and then pulled the now relieved Kang for a proper hug, “Thank you for taking care of me and making me feel important, Seulgi.”

“Hey now, dry your tears okay? I meant what I said, you’re the most important to me right now. Joohyun, I know we had been married because of circumstances we don’t want but I can’t help these feelings from taking over me. I don’t know when but all I know is you’re the only person who made me feel this way and I want to spend all of my waking days with you.” Seulgi said as she looked at Joohyun’s slightly puffy eyes, her hands raising to caress that beautiful face she loved waking up to every single day, “I like you, Joohyun. Will you walk down this path with me?”

Joohyun bit her lip before smiling, feeling the burst of happiness, her stomach feeling not only butterflies but the whole zoo itself.

Seulgi likes her?

Well, she does too. Very much too.

It's not exactly much confusing as to why, they lived together, slept together and spent time with each other, it's only a matter of time if one of the two starts to have feelings for the other, and Joohyun was so glad she was not the only one to fall.

“Of course why wouldn’t I, the vows I wrote for you came from my heart, they’re genuine. I like you too, Seulgi and yes I will walk this path with you. We haven’t yet even been married for three months but I am willing to spend my life with you happily.”

Seulgi has a stupid grin plastered on her lips and her eyes twinkling now, as she went for Joohyun’s lips and the smaller woman too leaned in.

Their lips met in a sweet kiss, eyes mutually closing as Joohyun’s hands raised to interlock on Seulgi’s nape. Seulgi gently snaked her own arms around her wife’s waist as she deepened the kiss, gently nibbling Joohyun’s juicy lower lip.

The smaller woman gently opened her mouth to welcome Seulgi’s tongue as the muscles met in a dance, not fighting for dominance but to simply feel. Everything felt so exciting, so liberating because Joohyun knew that the woman she is kissing right now returns her feelings the same way.

Along with the smoky taste of steak, she can mostly taste the strawberry flavor of Seulgi’s chap stick. Joohyun should ask her more often to use it because it. is. so. delicious.

After, they broke apart to catch their breaths, pink tinting their cheeks. Their foreheads are still pressed to one another, not breaking eye contact and enjoying the silence.

Joohyun cannot help herself, so she laid one final peck to those delicious lips.

Lips that she will make sure will be only kissing hers, not anyone else's.

”Dance with me?” Seulgi whispered.

Joohyun nodded as Seulgi lead her outside. Seulgi first adjusted the music and then went back to Joohyun with excitement clear on her eyes.

They are ecstatic. The kiss they shared felt so different but the good kind of different.

“I’m beyond happy right now, Joohyun and it is because of you. I’ve never thought I get to marry someone like you.” Seulgi confessed, as they gently swayed to the rhythm of their hearts.

“You can say I’m the lucky one here, Seulgi-yah. You’ve done so much for me and you have been nothing but kind to me.” Joohyun replied.

Seulgi twirled her slightly, before the song ended and another one played, this time the beat is lively and fast. The two tried to match their steps with the beat of the sound, as they laughed and danced together, savoring the moment they have.

Maybe being married is not so bad after all, especially if it’s Kang Seulgi you’re married to.

When they felt tired, Joohyun looked up at Seulgi with a thoughtful expression.

”I can tell you need something.” Seulgi chuckled.

”Yes, I do. Pancakes?”

“Pancakes?” Seulgi repeated and then cackled loudly. Only Kang Joohyun will request for her favorite food at such a time like this.

But of course, Seulgi will indulge. She did say she’ll spoil her wife rotten.

”Well then let’s go home and cook you your pancakes.”

”Yay! You're my favorite wife!”

Seulgi fake glared at her, but was not able to maintain it and it resulted to her pouting cutely making Joohyun cackle in turn.

”Joohyun, I’m your only wife!”

• • •


	6. Misunderstandings

The cold morning light of November swept through the tiny cracks of the curtains as the couple slept peacefully beneath the thick comforters. Along the quiet atmosphere, Seulgi's phone rang and since she slept like a log, it was Joohyun who reached out for the phone with mild annoyance. She checked the ID because who the heck calls this early?

Sunmi it read.

Who's Sunmi?

She pressed the phone to Seulgi's cheeks, startling her awake as she let out a cute snort of surprise.

"W-What?" Seulgi asked, her tone husky and deep.

"Someone's calling you."

Seulgi closed her tired eyes, and then snuggled her nose to Joohyun's neck.

"It's too early," She groaned, breathing down Joohyun's skin making the older woman shudder, "Who is it anyway?"

"It says Sunmi."

And just like a rocket, Seulgi shot up, eyes wide before she quickly snatched her phone away from Joohyun's grasp and left Joohyun's embrace.

"I told you not to call me-" But Joohyun was not able to hear the rest when the loud slam of the door awakened the rest of her senses.

Great, she no longer is sleepy and now feels cold because her wife left her all alone on the bed at six in the morning.

Just who is this Sunmi anyway?

For weeks, Seulgi seemed distant from Joohyun. Their nights mostly consisted of having dinner together because Seulgi, despite her busy schedule managed to keep her promise to Joohyun but it was not the same. It was either Seulgi is using her tablet while eating or she would always get up to excuse herself whenever a phone call goes through her cell. Joohyun is confused, but she is mostly hurt.

How can Seulgi tell me she likes me and then act cold and distant right after? Was it all just a lie?

Because if Seulgi likes her, then she's acting the total opposite.

Deciding to laze around for a few minutes, she picked up her own cell to check her messages. Their team had been great, especially Sehun who was very kind in showing her around. She was lucky she had the guy as part of the team because he was smart, a gentleman, and overall an easy-going guy. Since Seulgi had been too busy for the past weeks, they were not able to have lunch together, so she always went with VP Choi and the rest of the team.

Opening one of Sehun's messages to her, she giggled at the hilarious image he sent of himself with only half of his beard shaved off and a caption followed below.

Sehun: i moustache you a question, but i should shave it for later

Irene: i told u to stop with the jokes already 

Sehun: no can do :P this is how i met you anyway. see u later :D

"Joohyun?" 

Said woman forgoed replying to the text when she heard her wife call for her.

"Yes?" She asked, watching Seulgi shuffling around, collecting some stuff all the while using her phone too.

"I need to go now, sorry if I can't have breakfast with you today. I'll make it up to you tonight?"

Joohyun mellowed at the thought of Seulgi once again leaving her too early in the morning. Even in breakfast, Seulgi cannot join her anymore and Joohyun cannot count with her fingers of how many times Seulgi promised to make up for it but wasn't able to. This of course, bothered her but she kept on reminding herself that this is what she really asked of Seulgi, to prioritize her job because being the head of one of the most prestigious companies in Korea is no joke. 

"Sure, please take care on the way." Joohyun replied quietly, watching Seulgi shuffle around and when she had trouble with her tie, Joohyun helped her with it.

"I'll have my driver Taeyong drive you to work today. I'll see you tonight," Seulgi quickly kissed Joohyun on the lips and then hastily picked up her stuff, leaving with a wave. 

Her wife looked as if she carried the weight of the universe on her shoulders, Joohyun noticing as Seulgi's movements seemed tired already and the day hadn't even yet started. 

So with the absence of her wife, she decided to ask for Taeyeon's help to appease Seulgi's troubles.

"Just surprise her with a lunch then," Taeyeon said, while flipping the eggs, "The way to that kid's heart is through her stomach."

"I just hope she is not busy later," Joohyun solemnly replied.

"You can tell her you're coming by. Knowing her, she'll clear up her schedule just to cuddle with you," The housekeeper teased but Joohyun grimaced at this.

She knew Seulgi will, but not until recently. It didn't help that this woman named Sunmi seemed to have longer conversations with Seulgi than Joohyun does with her own wife. Now, Joohyun is a woman of dignity, and getting jealous over some woman her wife is possibly dealing with over work matters means she's too petty and childish. She trusts Seulgi that she will never break her heart.

"Hey, wipe that long face off. What do you want me to teach you?"

• • •

Right after Taeyong dropped her off with a polite bow and informing her that he can drive her anywhere she wanted, she walked to KTI with her bag and a small packed lunch for Seulgi she's planning on surprising her with. Upon entering her floor, Sehun greeted her with a wave before walking over to her desk as she placed her things down.

"Good morning, I think I have seen an angel, wait no. It's actually you, Mrs. Irene!" He said cheerfully.

"How many times do I have to tell you that it's bad to flirt with married women," Joohyun joked, noticing that her handsome fellow junior analyst eyed the lunch on her grip.

"Only speaking my truth, madam. By the way, packed lunch? You're not going out with the team later?" He asked.

Joohyun shook her head, "No, maybe tomorrow I will. I'm in the mood for some home-cooked meal today." 

Due to the busy schedules and Joohyun still not encountering any issues, they haven't had the time to announce properly that she is married to Seulgi. To be frank, she loved that they knew her as Irene Kang, a married junior analyst and super rookie from VP Choi's team, not just as the CEO's wife. Everyone treats her as an equal, not someone who they should be kissing the foot of to gain favors. Only VP Choi knew she was not just married to a Kang, but Kang Seulgi herself and Joohyun was thankful the woman was considerate enough not to tell anyone.

"The best food ever is from home," Sehun remarked, scratching his clean chin, "But if you decided to change your mind, you can ring me up so I can at least fetch you."

"Thank you Sehun, but I'm sure I will pass on that for today."

"Hey, just ring up," Sehun smiled before walking off to greet another member of their team, Jisoo.

Kim Jisoo is a very bubbly and smart young girl who, although Joohyun was older by four years, had a lot more experience than she has. She's one of the accounting department's sweethearts due to her adorable and kind personality.

"Ah, another angel! Good morning Miss Jisoo!" He exclaimed, and went for a hug but Jisoo pushed him by the face making him let out an "oomf" noise.

With a shake of her head, Jisoo quipped, "We're sick and tired of your recycled pick-up lines, Sehun. Oh, good morning, Mrs. Kang!" She greeted Joohyun after placing her stuff beside Joohyun's desk which was her space.

"Good morning, Jisoo. Please call me Irene, I feel old knowing I'm the only one married here," The older woman replied.

"Okay, Irene-unnie. Any news about the investigation?" Jisoo asked once she logged in her laptop.

About to reply, Joohyun was interrupted by another male voice, "We're almost there."

Do Kyungsoo walked in as Sehun yet again greeted him with a manly hug. Kyungsoo is a handsome and a quiet but witty man. His intuition and deep thinking earned him the position as the first member of the team VP Choi formed. 

"Oh? Then that's great! We're about to get rid of our headaches soon!" Jisoo added enthusiastically.

The investigation for the embezzlement from the company was surprisingly taking too long.

"Whoever it is, he or she must be so smart to evade everything," Kyungsoo remarked, as he shook his head in distaste.

"When everything is done, I'm volunteering Mrs. Irene to take us out and treat us!" Sehun exclaimed, making Jisoo and Kyungsoo turn their heads to her with hopeful expressions.

Joohyun giggled nervously, sending a fake glare towards Sehun's way, "Fine, name a restaurant then bill's on me."

Jisoo and Sehun high-fived while Kyungsoo crossed his arms, nodding to himself with a small grin.

"But, Sehun has to promise us he will stop with his corny jokes."

The mentioned man let out an indignant whine, making his fellow junior analysts laugh much to his chagrin.

Together, they are all great.

Somehow, work kept Joohyun preoccupied and stopped her from thinking about a certain Kang.

• • •

"So you're saying the thief is in our department!?" Jisoo queried, her hands threatening to break the pen in her grip.

VP Choi leaned her head back on her swivel chair, "It's an intuition, Jisoo. We are still not sure about who it is but I'm dying to send that idiot to jail."

"There's actually a huge chance he or she is in this department. You need to know how the money works within the company before you can touch it." Kyungsoo asserted, making all the others nod in agreement.

VP Choi called for them all for a short report over the company's funds and thankfully, there seems to be no suspicious activity around the finances.

"Right, embezzling is not something you can do easily, especially if it's in KTI. Kang Rowoon, the founder has special hate for those whol steal from him." Sehun agreed.

"Is that so?" Joohyun turned to Sehun, urging him to continue.

"There had been rumors going around that he had those who betrayed him killed, but I don't think that's the case. Kang Rowoon is just bloodthirsty." The young analyst shared to the group who listened attentively.

Joohyun knew what Sehun said is true, but she refrained from sharing her own opinion. None of her colleagues knew she is married to Seulgi yet, and she wants to keep it that way for as long as she can.

Jisoo nodded, "Well if that's true, then that embezzler is one lucky piece of shit because our current CEO is like a saint compared to him."

VP Choi interrupted them, "Seulgi may be a kind CEO, but she is still a Kang, and Kangs loathed liars with immeasurable passion. He or she might not die if those rumors were ever true, but CEO Kang will make sure that thief will face hell one way or another. Anger a Kang and you'll be faced with your worst nightmares."

Everyone shivered at that statement, especially Sehun who is known to be a scaredy cat.

"No, no! I'm done with this conversation. CEO Kang is still my crush and will stay as my crush, saint or not."

VP Choi shot Joohyun a look to which she returned with mild annoyance and jealousy. She gets that many woman swoon over her wife like a fresh piece of meat ot feast upon and she knew that it is downright stupid and foolish to be jealous. Can you blame her though? Said Kang is now not even giving her the attention she needed and Joohyun is depraved of affection!

Kyungsoo pinched her left cheek, "You're just like Sehun over here, crushing over married women."

"Yah! That hurts!" Jisoo dramatically quipped, "It's just a crush and at least I don't flirt with her like someone we know."

Somewhere along the background, they heard Sehun's "Hey!"

Joohyun kept quiet about the person her colleagues were talking about, not really in the mood to talk about her wife.

• • •

It was finally lunch time and Joohyun texted Seulgi to ask if she was free and in her office but she got no reply. Instead, she went to the secretary's desk, remembering when Seulgi told her to just tell her name to the secretary and she'll immediately let her in. 

The secretary looked up at her with a polite smile, but it weirded out Joohyun greatly when the woman observed her face, "How may I help you? Do you have an appointment with CEO Kang?" 

Joohyun looked confused for a second before flashing a smile of her own, "Yes, the name's Kang Irene."

The secretary's eyes widened as she laughed nervously before standing up and bowing to Joohyun profusely, “M-Mr.s Kang! I didn't know you work here!" 

"I only applied recently," She eyed the name tag on the secretary's perfectly ironed blouse, "Yeri, is Seulgi in her office?"

"She is, Mrs. Kang! She told me to let you in no matter what. Please proceed to her office," The still stuttering secretary told her as Joohyun prepared to open the door and surprise her wife with the lunch she had so carefully and diligently cooked for Seulgi.

Pushing the door open with a smile, it was immediately wiped out and she gaped out at the sight that met her.

There on her office chair sat Seulgi with a woman on her lap, lips locked. The woman's blouse was already halfway unbuttoned while Seulgi's tie which Joohyun had formed so attentively now undone and haphazard. Not able to spend another second watching the two, and to supress the choked out sob she had, her trembling hand lost its grip on the packed lunch she brought. The loud noise of the plastic hitting tiled floor alerted the two, surprised as they parted from one another.

"Joohyun? Fuck!" Seulgi quickly pushed woman off of her lap to explain to her wife but she was too late when the tearful woman turned her back to run away, "Let me explain!"

Joohyun tried so hard not to hyperventilate in the middle of the halls and ran as fast as she can away from the office, away from Seulgi as she can hear the CEO's calls for her name. Finally, she reached the elevator and pressed the button repeatedly with fury, tears blurring her vision now.

"Joohyun! It's not what you think!"

But she scoffed, her throat clogging up with tears. Walking inside the thankfully empty elevator, she smashed the lobby floor. Just in time it was about to close, she saw a bit of Seulgi's panick-stricken face and lips smeared with a disgusting shade of crimson. 

"Wait!" 

Seulgi was too late, as the doors closed down and hid Joohyun's trembling form from her sight.

"Fucking hell!" She growled out, eyes burning with her own tears with anger and frustration.

Joohyun's shaky hands reached for her phone to dial Sehun and after mustering to keep her voice steady, she rang him up.

In just a single ring, Sehun was already answering her, "Changed your mind, Mrs. Kang?" The man teased.

Mrs. Kang.

Joohyun herself is unsure if she still wanted to be Mrs. Kang after witnessing Seulgi's infidelity with her own eyes. Seulgi who promised to be faithful, cheated on her within just a few months of marriage! God, her life is so pathetic.

"Can you pick me up at the lobby?" She asked, her voice threatening to break, and tears about to fall.

Sehun seemed to notice something was off, "Is everything okay, Mrs. Irene?"

After not receiving a verbal reply, the man on the other side of the line quickly fumbled for his keys, "I'll be there in fifteen."

Fifteen minutes. It's enough for Joohyun to gather her wits and compose herself. 

Once she is at the lobby, she turned off her phone that had been incessantly ringing with only one caller ID.

She'll deal with the mess later. Right now, she has a colleague to meet for lunch.

■ ■ ■

Seulgi welcomed Lee Sunmi into her office for an important matter. Lee Sunmi, her ex bestfriend turned girlfriend who also became an ex months before she married Joohyun, is a quick-witted woman and very straightforward with what she wants. The woman gave Seulgi a kiss on the cheek which she quickly reprimanded.

"You must have been informed that I am married, Sunmi and even though I am not, we are already over." Seulgi said, her tone changing into that of a professional's, not open for a casual conversation.

It's lunch and she planned to surprise her wife by taking her out to compensate for the past weeks of neglect she made Joohyun go through. She knew her wife misses her, Seulgi can see the sadness sweep over Joohyun's eyes whenever she told her she had to go for work even though they have more time to spend with each other. But she knew this mess will be over soon and she promised to herself to tell Joohyun everything right after it was solved. 

"You seem to be underestimating how stubborn and persuasive I can be, Seulgi." Sunmi leered, her arms stretching and resting her palms on the desk, eyes shooting lasers into Seulgi's glaring eyes.

"We are over. You'll never have me again, Sunmi. For Christ's sakes, you cheated on me! Not even a saint will forgive you!" She argued, voice rising by the minute and her temples starting to ache from the woman.

Sunmi harrumphed, "I am a woman with needs Seulgi, and you have to go around "helping others" when you can't eve provide me wi-"

She was immediately silenced when Seulgi slammed her palm on the desk, growling menacingly, "Enough!"

The older woman had the audacity to look offended.

"I asked for you here so that I can find my cousin's woman, nothing else."

Sunmi huffed before pulling out the folder she has on her bag and then threw it to Seulgi's direction who caught it with ease. Silence finally fell upon the office as Seulgi scanned through the documents.

"Everything you need is there, including her child's information, her address, her job and how much she earns."

Seulgi nodded, before closing the document.

"Where is she now?"

"Paris," Sunmi replied, taking a seat on her desk which Seulgi had no energy to reprimand anymore. The woman was as hard-headed as she remembered.

"Right, you may leave now. My payment is being transferred to your account as we speak." Seulgi dismissed Sunmi as she reached for her phone to respond to Joohyun's text.

However, she was suddenly given a lapful of Sunmi, blouse already halfway undone, "That's not the kind of payment I need, Kang." She said before pulling Seulgi for a brusing kiss as the woman quickly fumbled for her tie.

What the fuck is she doing!?

The loud thump of something rang in her ears and this distracted Sunmi, giving Seulgi the leverage to push Sunmi away from her face but not enough to discard her on the floor.

Bewildered, they looked at the cuplrit of the noise and Seulgi stared at her dumbfoundedly. It was Joohyun, her wife and judging by the unknown plastic package on the floor, she dropped it accidentally.

Sunmi let out a whine at the interruption, but Seulgi pushed her off, eyes wide.

“Joohyun? Fuck!” She did not care about the stupid woman on her lap as she tried to stand up, making Sunmi fall on the floor unceremoniously, running after her tearful wife.

”Leave my office now before I’ll do something to you that you’ll regret you ever lived.” She spat out menacingly before calling for Joohyun.

”Let me explain!” 

She let her legs do their work as she ran after her wife who was stangely too fast even in heels. Joohyun needs to know that she is not cheating on her! Her sweet, sweet wife shouldn’t have witnessed that!

“Joohyun, it’s not what you think!” She croaked out loudly, as she watched Joohyun furiously punch the elevator button.

Goddammit, she’s running away!

But she knew it was too late when Joohyun swiftly entered the elevator and quickly closed the door down. Seulgi was able to reach the small crack of space, enough for her to see Joohyun’s weakly shaking form, arms hugging herself and tears beading in her eyelids.

”Wait!” She called out, but it closed down.

Seulgi can also feel the burn of her eyes, as she struggled not to panic and think of any way how she can reach Joohyun. She is in an elevator, and only she knew which floor she’ll go. It’s impossible for Seulgi to catch up to her.

”Fucking hell!” She yelled out, raising her hands to grip her hair and pull.

Think Seulgi, think!

Right, her phone! 

She quickly ran back to her office and picked up the discarded lunch box on the floor before carefully placing it on the coffee table, then snarled upon still seeing Sunmi waiting for her, legs crossed and propped up on the desk.

”Seulgi!” She whined out, dragging the “i” in her name, reaching for the CEO but Seulgi quickly batted her hand off with extra force.

”I told you to leave my office, Sunmi." She gritted her teeth, searching for her discarded phone.

She found it by her chair and then picked it up immediately before dialling Joohyun's number. It kept on ringing but Joohyun is not picking up and Seulgi scowled in discontentment.

"But why? We're just getting started honey!" Sunmi whined again, adding further to Seulgi's headache.

"We're not starting anything." Seulgi barked back, sending mutiple messages to Joohyun but still not receiving any reply from her.

The older woman huffed, "That bitch interrupted us, that's why!"

Seulgi exhaled heavily, asking whoever is up there for strength, "That woman you called a bitch," Her dark gaze shifted towards Sunmi's way, "Is my wife, so you better be careful in choosing your words."

"You married that whore?" She let out a laugh, adding fuel to the fire of Seulgi's anger, "You'll eventually com-"

But she was not able to finish when the back of Seulgi's hand met her face with so much force she was sent down to the floor, whimpering and clutching the reddening area.

"How fucking dare you call my wife a whore when you are the one who is," Seulgi pulled her by the collar and then threw her on the couch in front of her desk, making her yelp, "Hitting you is not above my principles. I've been nothing but kind and tolerant of your actions but if it is my wife who you're talking smack about then you're making a huge mistake. Leave now before I'll do something much worse than a puny slap."

Sunmi squawked before gathering her things and running out of the office as quick as she can, and only after was she gone did Seulgi's anger evaporated but her heart is still in pain. Weakly willing her legs to walk her to the office chair, she slumped on it. She pulled out a few tissue papers from her box and bitterly wiped her lips, thinking if she needed to rinse her mouth off with mentol.

She is that disgusted by Sunmi.

Her tie had been also messed up and Seulgi knew that only Joohyun had mastered the knot so she won't be able to replicate it then with a strong tug, she removed it.

For one last time, she tried dialling Joohyun but her call went straight to voicemail.

"Hello, you have reached Ire-"

"Joohyun, baby it's me. Please, you have to believe me that I've done nothing wrong. I will never hurt you like that. Sunmi was my ex and nothing more and what you have seen is nothing but a misunderstanding. She kissed me, but I did nothing to reciprocate. I only asked for her help because I am looking for the woman my cousin abandoned. She's likely pregnant and sick and I need to take care of her as a final promise to fulfill my cousin's wishes. Please, call me back when you can, I'll be waiting for you at home."

Then Seulgi ended the call, sighing. Joohyun was not supposed to know about the woman her cousin abandoned because he was a bastard of a coward. Only was he in his death bed did he ask Seulgi to help his ex girlfriend and was only able to provide a name. So Seulgi, being the selfless soul she is, had asked Sunmi who was the best in her field to dig up any necessary information to find her as soon as she can. Dealing with Sunmi had been extremely difficult given that the woman is hellbent on taking her back but she is left with no choice. She needed to find her cousin's ex as soon as possible.

Raising an arm up, she covered her eyes as her tears dribbled down.

■ ■ ■

When Sehun picked Joohyun up, he did not ask for further details upon seeing her red-rimmed eyes. He only pulled her for a warm hug before guiding the woman to the passenger’s seat of his car.

"The whole team's there except VP Choi. She told us she'll meet with CEO Kang. I think they finally found out who stole from the company."

Joohyun nodded in reply. Sehun backed out of the parking lot, understanding that she is not in the mood to speak.

Once they were in the restaurant, her fellow analysts greeted her with wide smiles, they made it harder for her to stay sad, so she smiled back.

"Look who I found, lady and gentleman." Sehun presented to the group.

"Miss us already, Irene-unnie?" Jisoo teased.

"Yeah, I did. Except Mr. Sehun over here." Joohyun replied, making Sehun pout.

He's really a great friend.

Kyungsoo chuckled, "Let's order up and eat!"

"Hey, I heard VP Choi finally found out who the embezzler is." Jisoo said as she began taking small bites from her hamburger.

"Yeah, I just hope he goes to prison soon." Sehun replied, making Kyungsoo raise his left brow.

"He's a he? How can you be so sure?" He questioned, which made Sehun laugh nervously.

"I mean, he or she!" He continued with his food, laughing in embarrassment over his tiny mistake.

"Since they found the culprit, I think this calls for a celebration!" Jisoo announced and then faced Joohyun, "Irene-unnie didn't you promise to treat us?"

"Idiot Sehun made me promise, but sure. I'll take you all out for a team dinner, all on me." Joohyun said, making all the other three cheer happily.

Finally, she was able to smile again, forgetting about to occurence just a mere hour ago.

Sehun, who was seated beside her gave her arm a squeeze, asking for a confirmation if she was okay, and she gave him a small grin of assurance.

She left her phone in her bag, not bothering to turn it on.

• • •

They went back to the company and Joohyun made sure to never encounter Seulgi inside. She does not want to see her face right after what she had done.

She needed to focus on her job right now, as she scrolled through the documents and typing her financial reports.

"Have you seen Sunmi-sunbaenim walking out from CEO Kang's office?"

"Sunmi? Her ex?"

"Yes! I saw them with my own eyes."

Oh goddammit, does she hate office rumors, especially if its about the infidelities of her wife.

"But she looked like she was rejected."

Bullshit.

"Yeah? But isn't CEO Kang married?"

Yes, yes she is.

"She is, but isn't it strange that Sunmi walked out from her office, looking ravaged?"

Joohyun's anger bubbled up in her chest, knowing she, the wife herself witnessed how Sunmi was almost half naked, grinding on her wife's lap.

"It's kind of weird that CEO Kang broke up with her don't you think? They broke up and before we knew it, she is hitched up."

At this point, Joohyun's ears are absorbing the information up despite her misgivings about office rumors.

"Huh? You can marry anyone within a day of meeting hem, what’s a month’s comparison to that?”

"That's not what I meant, idiot! I mean, what if she was only forced to marry and now she's cheating because she still loves Sunmi-sunbaenim?"

Joohyun frowned at the first theory, but pondered over at the second one.

What if Seulgi lied to her?

What if Seulgi really still loved the woman on her lap before?

What will be of Joohyun right now?

So many questions began popping up in her head when Sehun suddenly shushed them sternly.

"Shhh! You and your riciculous gossips never end, this is why CEO Kang never wanted to reveal who she married. Now quit that and go back to work!"

The junior accountants who were gossiping gasped in embarrassment before they turned their heads back to their cubicles.

”Office gossips, you gotta love ‘em,” Jisoo quipped with a shrug before walking to the vending machine.

”Hey, Irene-noona I was wondering if you’re okay now?” Sehun asked, placing a comforting hand on Joohyun’s shoulder. She asked him to stop calling her Mrs. but instead just be familiar with her.

He had been a total sweetheart and became her rock, always attentive and asking if she was okay. Of course, her answers are always the same but deep down, Joohyun knew she is not.

”I am now, but to be honest I still don’t want to go home.” Joohyun frowned, not sure if she can face Seulgi.

Sehun grinned assuringly, “Want to crash at my place? I have a spare bedroom, and don’t worry it’s clean!” He offered, making Joohyun sigh.

”It’s too much of an offer, but thank you Sehun. I would just book a hotel for the night.” Joohyun declined but Sehun gave her a look that says he’s not taking no for answer.

”Hey, I’m like the kind of friend that’s one call away. You can stay at my house for one night, I insist noona.” 

Joohyun considered it, pondering over the pros and cons. While yes, she is now a billionaire thanks to sharing Seulgi’s wealth, she is still slightly stingy when it comes to money and hotels cost a LOT.

Sighing, she returned Sehun’s hopeful gaze. The guy had been nothing short of respectful, he did not even ask what happened, “Fine, but only for tonight, okay? I’ll resolve my issues once and for all tomorrow.”

Sehun grinned widely, before facing his laptop again, “I’ll make sure it’s worth your stay, noona.”

• • •

Sehun walked Joohyun towards one of the doors, “This will be your room and you have your own bathroom inside. Everything necessary is there, just call me if you need anything, I’ll be in my room down the hall.”

”Thank you, I really owe you a lot,” Joohyun said, making the tall guy chuckle.

”It’s nothing, just being a good friend. Want me to put on the kettle for some tea?” 

Joohyun nodded, “Yes please.”

Once the tea is set on the table, Joohyun shyly grabbed one of the cups, gingerly blowing on the steam.

”If you don’t mind telling me, what happened?”

Joohyun let out a shaky exhale before clearing her throat.

”I have a problem with my spouse,” She became careful with her words, not wanting to give away her marriage to Seulgi yet.

”Okay go on, I’m all ears,” The younger man coaxed.

”I think my wife is cheating on me,” Joohyun said in a slow and low voice.

One second.

Two seconds. 

Until it became an unmcomfortable silence to Joohyun did Sehun began speaking, “You’re married to a woman!? So you’re gay?” He asked but slapped his face to reprimand himself, making Joohyun grin slightly, “That was a stupid question, I’m sorry.” He chuckled nervously before composing himself, “What made you think she’s cheating on you?”

The question triggered something inside Joohyun as she felt her throat about to close, her hands getting clammy and her sweat getting cold. Images of Seulgi with Sunmi on her lap began flashing in front of her eyes as she struggled to breath?

”Noona? Oh my god!” Sehun was not sure what is happening but whatever is happening to Joohyun right now seems like a panic attack.

Quickly, he lowered the temperature of his AC and then began wiping Joohyun’s sweat as tears streamed down her face and she let out painful, choked sobs, unable to help it not when she can barely breathe. 

He unbuttoned her blouse halfway to give way for more air as he embraced he shaking form, whispering his comfort to her.

”I’m sorry for asking, noona. It will be okay, you hear me?” He said.

It had been a painful half an hour for Joohyun before she was sober, and the whole time Sehun was beside her, doing nothing but helping. She slumped on the sofa, closing her eyes tiredly.

Today has been really a long day.

”Do you want to go to sleep now?”

She nodded, but before she could stand up, Sehun picked her up like a bride.

She was too tired to protest, thinking that this was too close for proximity, and only Seulgi can do that.

Who was she fooling? Seulgi went and cheated on her and she couldn’t even let a man help her? Besides, she is not cheating because he is a friend and not her paramour.

Sehun watched over her form as she slept on the guest’s bed, eyes trained with focus.

”If only you aren’t married.” Was his last words before he closed the door and retired to his room.

• • •

Seulgi sat at the dining table as Taeyeon set up the food for her, alone.

”Where the hell is my wife?” Seulgi snarled but Taeyeon smacked her upright in the head, making her yelp.

”Table manners, sweetheart.” Taeyeon scolded before she took a seat of her own, “Tell me, what’s wrong?”

Seulgi scowled once again before she was flicked on the forehead. Damn, this lady is way too proper!

“Joohyun thinks I cheated on her.” 

Taeyeon gasped, before she hit Seulgi on the arm. Seulgi swears her housekeeper is like the typical Asian mom.

”Now what did you do, Seulgi?” 

“I did nothing, okay? It was Sunmi who kissed me, I did not kiss her back!” 

“Sunmi? Your ex? What is she doing with you!?” 

Seulgi was pinched on the waist making her howl out in pain.

”I only asked for her help in looking for Jaehyun’s girlfriend, nothing more!” 

Then Taeyeon stopped her abusing, “Jaehyun? Why are you looking for his girlfriend?”

”Because she needs my help, unnie and quick. I know it’s my fault for neglecting Joohyun and keeping her in the dark but the sooner I can find her, the better.” 

Taeyeon looked thoughtful for a moment.

”Have you apologized to her?” 

“I did! But she wouldn’t answer my calls and I don’t even know where the hell she is right now!” 

Taeyeon rubbed Seulgi’s arm to comfort her, “Joohyun is a smart and capable woman. I’m sure she stayed at a hotel or something, don’t fret.”

A light bulb lit up on Seulgi’s head, “That’s actually a great idea. I’m going to call all hotels around Seoul to find her!”

She was yet again smacked for her stupidity.

”You idiotic dumbhead, you have to give her space and yourself too. Eat your meal and take a rest. You need it.”

”But I can’t even sleep without her beside me.”

Taeyeon laughed at her young master’s childish problem.

”You love her don’t you?”

”Maybe I do, unnie. Maybe I do.”

• • •

The next day, Joohyun felt slightly refreshed and decided to still go to work but she had no clothes so she had to wear yesterday’s attire. She and Sehun carpooled as they made their way to the company, a relaxing atmosphere falling upon them.

Jisoo and Kyungsoo greeted her with the usual smile as the younger woman squealed while hugging Joohyun.

”The investigation’s done! They found the thief, unnie!” She cheered, wiping metaphorical tears away from her eyes.

”I’m glad,” Joohyun smiled back, “This is one problem less to all of us!” 

Kyungsoo nodded quietly, eyeing Sehun who was looking at the eldest member of their team with adoration, making his eyebrow quirk up, “Yes, it’s all good now. Our CEO will have an announcement shortly.”

Joohyun’s blood ran cold at Kyungsoo’s statement. She’s not yet ready to face Seulgi, not after what happened yesterday. She should have thought about working at KTI carefully.

”Noona, can I talk to you for a second?” Sehun asked, but did not wait for an answer when she pulled Joohyun to an empty hall. Jisoo and Kyungsoo did not mind as they proceeded to their stations. The two knew Joohyun and Sehun had this special bond going on.

”What is it?” Joohyun stared up at Sehun but before she can raise her brow in question, Sehun pulled her for a tight hug.

”Just promise me you will be fine?” Sehun asked, making Joohyun nod.

Before she could push him gently away however, because she is getting too uncomfortable, he pulled her for a kiss.

The action made Joohyun’s eyes widen as she pulled away quickly to slap him on the face.

Her mouth opened to unleash her hell, “What hell were you thinking!?” 

Sehun groaned, rubbing his cheeks, “I’m sorry! I thought you were about to leave your wife now that she cheated on you!”

Joohyun glowered, “I said nothing about that!”

The commotion made the gossip hungry employees to peek through the empty halls but Joohyun couldn’t care less.

”But I thought you liked me?” 

“Are you crazy!? Just because I stayed over at your home for a night and expressed my marital issues doesn’t mean I’m attracted to you! What made you think it’s okay to kiss a married woman!?”

”HE DID WHAT?!”

Oh no.

Seulgi.

Joohyun’s lips clammed shut and then she slowly turned to face Seulgi in all her fury. Her eyes screamed murder and her teeth gritted with her fists clenched. Many people began pouring into the space now as Seulgi took long strides towards their direction.

”CEO Kang! Don’t worry, Irene-noona and I—“

But he was not able to finish when her clenched fist met his face. The resounding noise of a bone cracking made Joohyun shiver. 

“There is no Joohyun and you,” She spat out and then turned to Joohyun, “And you, where were you last night!?” 

Everyone gasped at the question.

“You don’t have the right to know!” Joohyun argued.

Another collective gasps from everyone.

”If only you’ll listen to me! I did not cheat you!”

They began to put two and two together. Joohyun is married to a Kang and Seulgi is a Kang. They are wives! 

“CEO Kang, you’re married to her?” Sehun asked, still on the floor.

Seulgi did not answer but instead pulled him by the collar and slammed him on the wall. Joohyun knew she can’t do anything to defend Sehun at this point. Seulgi is now thirsty for blood.

“What makes you think you can touch my wife, huh?”

”Seulgi, he did not know!”

”Shut up!” 

Joohyun gasped, hurt by Seulgi’s words. They were like needles that pierced through her heart.

”She’s right, I did not know!” 

“First you steal from my company then you kiss my wife!?”

What?

”What are you talking about?” Joohyun asked, her voice trembling.

Seulgi turned to her chuckling evilly, before gesturing for VP Choi to hand her the multiple documents. Once she had them on her grasp, she slapped all of them into Sehun’s face making him yelp as the papers scattered all over. By now, almost everyone on the floor is witnessing how it is to face Kang Seulgi’s wrath.

”Each and every information up there points to you.” Seulgi affirmed.

Sehun gulped, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Seulgi growled, making the audience shiver in their shoes.

”It’s impossible! I made sure everything is pointed at Jumong!” 

Well, it didn’t take much for him to confess. It disgusted Joohyun now that she slept in the house of a criminal! A criminal she was anticipating to catch no less!

Then VP Choi’s words hit Joohyun.

Nobody gets away from a Kang’s eyes.

Losing her patience, Seulgi pulled the pistol hidden in her coat and then slammed Sehun on the wall by the neck. His bloodcurling scream was immediately hushed when Seulgi pushed the muzzle of the gun into his mouth. Cocking the safety, he knew that with a twitch of the CEO’s fingers and he was all done for.

”I fucking hate liars,” Seulgi growled, “I’m still granting you mercy and you’ll face me in court but I’ll make sure you get the worst punishment and make your life a living hell!” She clicked the safety back to its place before letting go of Sehun who crumbled on the floor, clutching his neck as he took deep heaves of air.

”Officers, take him.” VP Choi demanded, as the tall policemen went and helped Sehun up before slapping the metal cuffs on his wrists.

”You are under arrest Mr. Oh Sehun for embezzlement and what we believed to be sexual harassment. You have the right to remain silent and the right to have a lawyer.”

”It was a mistake! I am innocent!” Sehun thrashed around but the officers held him by the arms tightly as they dragged him away from the scene.

”They all say that.” One of the officers said.

Seulgi’s back is still turned to Joohyun, it was tense and broad, and she did not know what to do next. 

“Seulgi.” She quietly called out and whimpered when the younger woman snapped her neck towards her direction with pain all over her eyes.

She snatched Joohyun’s hand and tugged slightly as a signal to come with her.

”Come on, we’re going home.” And Joohyun provided no argument.

Once they were in Seulgi’s car, the silence felt loud and the tension was so thick you can cut it with a knife. Only Seulgi was able to break the silence when she sighed, facing Joohyun. 

“Are you okay?” 

But Joohyun decided to be a child and gave Seulgi the silent treatment.

”I’m sorry for yelling at you. I was mad but that was not an excuse.” 

Joohyun harrumphed, scooting as far away from Seulgi as possible. 

“Please talk to me, Joohyun. It kills me that you won’t let me explain!” 

“Then why did you cheat on me!? Why was she on your lap, sucking your face off, you look like you’re even enjoying it!”

”Joohyun, if only you’ll listen to me! Don’t you trust me? Now you’re making baseless accusations! I only look at you, why can’t you understand that!? Isn’t everything I’m giving not enough?!”

Joohyun gasped, “Kang Seulgi! You did not just imply you’re buying me things to gain my heart!”

Seulgi’s eyebrows met, “That was way below the belt, Joohyun. I’ve tried to be and do my best but I’m sorry if that wasn’t enough for you. I’m sorry.” Seulgi said lowly, before she started the car up.

No words were exchanged as Joohyun hastily exits the car, Seulgi following closely behind. Even the elevator ride towards the penthouse was eerily silent and awkward. 

Once inside the penthouse, Joohyun walked to her former room and threw herself on the bed exhasutedly and miserably, and was glad Seulgi did not follow her. For hours she laid there, thinking how messy her life became.

It was in the late afternoon when a knock caught her attention and she croaked a come in.

Seulgi walked in, dressed in a fresh set of clothes sans tie.

”Tonight, I just want to inform you that I’ll be flying to France and will stay there for a month. I figured you still haven’t turned your phone on so please do. Taeyeon-unnie told me to give you space and maybe a month is enough. Call me if you’re ready to talk to me. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Then Seulgi walked towards Joohyun’s lying form and leaned down to press a kiss on the crown of her head.

”Goodbye Joohyun, I’ll be missing you.” 


	7. Hello, Mother

It has been a week.

A whole agonizing week for Joohyun.

And she's unsure if she'll make it for the next three that she'll be without Seulgi.

Right after Seulgi left for France, Joohyun had been an emotional mess. It didn't help when she opened her phone, read the numerous texts from Seulgi and listened to her voicemail. Now she feels like a guilt-ridden emotional mess. Nothing seemed to comfort her when she owned it up to herself that her actions had been nothing but mindless and selfish. Seulgi really did not cheat on her and Joohyun's stupid ego cannot accept her explanation before so she's left helpless.

Seulgi had also been true to her words.

She gave Joohyun space, which meant zero contact and Joohyun has no idea where she exactly is in France and all she knew is that Seulgi is currently looking for the cousin's girlfriend she mentioned.

With a sigh, Joohyun stripped off the hoodie owned by Seulgi and proceeded to walk to their bathroom. Nowadays, she can't sleep without Seulgi's scent embracing her but she felt it was not enough. She craves her wife's presence badly.

After taking a bath and staring at her lonely toothbrush, she walked towards the kitchen to be greet the day and Taeyeon's cooking.

"Good morning Joohyun-ah," Taeyeon smiled to her as she piled pancake after pancake on Joohyun's plate and then proceeded to pour her a hot cup of chocolate, "Eat up. Do I have to remind you that I am still watching over your diet? You look like how I met you months ago!"

Joohyun chuckled melancholically. Seulgi really is her pillar and her guilt is eating her up thinking that Seulgi went all her way to take care of Joohyun, "Good morning, unnie. Yes, I'll eat up that dozen of pancakes you cooked for me." She said and then took a seat, gesturing for Taeyeon to do the same, "Sit with me, it gets lonely these days eating by myself."

The housekeeper gave her a sad smile before taking a seat of her own right after refilling her mug of coffee, "You were able to hold yourself up for a week."

Joohyun snorted, "Yes, but barely."

Taeyeon rubbed a comrting hand on her back, "I'm sure you'll be fine for the next three weeks. Just do the usual and before you know it, your wife's back and you'll be able to reconcile."

"You're not mad at me?"

Taeyeon gave her an incredulous look, "Mad? Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because I hurt Seulgi."

Taeyeon, this time laughed heartily, "I am not mad, just disappointed. Marriages tend to have their highs and lows and besides, I bet your ass you and Seulgi will be back to the same as you were before."

"What I did to her is something that should not be forgiven. She had been in a possible harassment by her ex and I did nothing except make things worse."

The older woman flicked her on the forehead, just like what she does to Seulgi, making Joohyun flinch and hold the red area, "Stop being too hard on yourself. You two will be fine, I am sure of it. Eat up, Taeyong will be picking you up soon."

Joohyun mellowed at the thought of Taeyong picking her up and not going to work with Seulgi and their small talk plus the music they're fortunately agreeing on with the same taste, as she stood up to get her things.

Smack!

"Ow! What the hell unnie!?"

On Taeyeon's hand was a broom which Joohyun knew is what she used to smack her backside.

"Quit your drama, kid. Toughen yourself up and go to work, it's not the end of the world."

Rubbing her sore backside, she huffed at the giggling ajumma.

• • •

"Mrs. Kang! Good morning!" One of the employees greeted her as she smiled back at them and gave a greeting of her own before walking to the elevator.

Apparently, her secret's out but it's not that it won't happen eventually, she just needed the time to properly announce it. Now, the whole company knew she is married to Seulgi and it earned her many reactions.

Some were shocked.

Others began kissing her ass.

A lot began their rumors.

But mostly, many are jealous.

Just how did she manage to snag the hottest bachelorette in Korea?

She made her way towards their department and sat on one her desk but her silence was interrupted when Jisoo, still on her chair slid her way towards her, "How is Mrs. Kang holding up?"

She rolled her eyes jokingly, "Not good, especially if you keep calling me by my wife's last name."

Jisoo shrugged, "Can't blame me, and that's your last name now too. You didn't even tell us she's married to you, unnie. I even told you all about my secret crush right in front of her wife!" The younger analyst chuckled, shaking herself at her own silliness.

"Yeah, and now we're not doing so good." Joohyun sighed longingly.

Jisoo contradicted her, "You two will be fine, unnie."

"Oh, not you too Jisoo," She groaned, pausing from typing away on her laptop, "No offense, you don't seem to understand how complicated the situation is."

"Maybe you're the one who can't understand that this problem is nothing compared to what you CEO Kang have and you're the only one thinking negatively." Jisoo said before sliding off back to her own space, leaving Joohyun dumbfounded.

Kyungsoo walked towards Joohyun to hand her some documents, "Aish, the workload is too much," He grumbled to Joohyun, "Sehun took up a lot more of these documents than this company does."

"Still an asshole!" Jisoo said from the background.

Jennie suddenly showed up, taking a few of the load from Joohyun's desk to help, "Well, he'll lose the case soon, so everything will be back to normal." She shrugged, earning her a noise of agreement from Jisoo.

Kim Jennie is the latest member of their team who replaced Sehun. She was hired by VP Choi for her set of unrivaled skills and potential. Possessing cat-like eyes, dark and long rich hair, a button nose and cute lips, this earned their team the nickname of monster visuals.

Joohyun gave her a nod of appreciation over the volunteered help from Jennie.

• • •

"Hello, Yeri." Joohyun nodded to the secretary who Seulgi strangely left to Korea.

The secretary smiled at her, "Good morning, Mrs. Kang. Here to stay at CEO Kang's office for lunch?"

Joohyun nodded solemnly, and then a thought crossed her mind, "Do you eat with someone?"

Yeri shook her head, "No, I eat by myself here."

"Would you perhaps like to accompany me?"

"Are you sure?"

Joohyun walked towards Seulgi's office and offered to open the door for the young woman. The secretary flashed a shy smile to her before she rushed towards the door to enter.

Once inside, Joohyun walked towards the desk where she saw Seulgi being ravaged by Sunmi last week, the memory still painful for her but she can't imagine how more tortuous it is for her wife.

"Why the sudden stay here, ma'am?" Yeri asked, swinging her legs idly.

The analyst shrugged, "It just felt right for me, I wanted to spend time alone but sometimes it gets too lonely hence I invited you," Joohyun admitted.

Nooding, Yeri pulled out her phone.

Joohyun smiled at the young woman's habit of using her phone even during meal times.

"Sorry, my umma is calling me."

Joohyun raised a hand to signal she doesn't mind, "Go on."

The young blonde grinned at her gratefully before tapping her phone to answer the video chat with her mother.

Damn, how Joohyun wishes she had her mother. Sighing again, she leaned her head back on Seulgi's chair.

"Umma! I told you not to call me during work hours," Yeri whined, as her mother chuckled.

"It's your lunch time, honey. I just want to know how you're doing." Said a strangely familiar voice on the other line.

Hold on a second. The voice really is hitting some nerves.

Joohyun began spacing out, drowning the voices as her heart began constricting, wracking her brain to look for at least one memory of where she heard that voice and tone. Yeri's exasperated chuckle shook her off of her thoughts, so Joohyun blinked away the blurry images clouding her sight before leaning on the desk to eye Yeri's phone.

The secretary seemed to notice, so she turned to her phone again, "Would you like to meet my umma?"

Raising a brow in contemplation, Joohyun shrugged. She's slightly curious anyway over the owner of such familiar voice anyway.

"Umma, CEO Kang's wife invited me to have lunch, would you like to meet her?"

The sure! on the other line pushed Yeri to turn her phone to face Joohyun.

The spoon Joohyun was holding dropped on the floor and the clatter of the utensil deafened her. Yeri eyed her curiously, wondering what caused such reaction.

The same could be said for the woman on the other line as she looked at her own screen, tears blurring her vision.

"Joohyun?" She croaked out, looking at the young woman on her screen, wishing that this is not just a dream.

Joohyun.

The name her mother chose for her. The same mother looking at her with teary eyes. 

Everything seemed to crash on Joohyun all at once. The faceless woman in her memories began integrating the features of the woman on the phone. The mother she had almost gave up on looking for is now in front of her face to face on a screen. She began feeling lightheaded from the overloading of information into her brain, overwhelming her entire system.

So close yet so far.

"Mrs. Kang? Mrs. Kang what's wrong?"

Yeri winced when Joohyun's hand shot out and gripped Yeri on the arm tightly, disregarding the woman on the cellphone, her eyes wild and twitching, aching for answers.

"Her name. What's her name?"

The secretary looked confused, trying to pull her arm away from Joohyun's deadly grip.

"My mother's name is Kim Sora."

Joohyun's lungs felt constricted as she shakily stood up, not really aware of what her body wanted. She wanted to run away but her entire form felt like it was submerged in Jell-o as she tried to muster up the strength to walk out of the office to catch a breath of fresh air. The feeling of weakness intensified as her knees buckled and gave up, letting her fall on the floor, her lungs now almost closing up as she heaved, searching for oxygen.

"Mrs. Kang!" Was the last thing she heard before her vision went completely black.

• • •

Joohyun came to with a dry throat and an IV on her arm. In a state of panic and confusion, her eyes frantically looked everywhere and sighed in relief upon seeing her wife's secretary, sitting on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs and some unknown woman, back turned away from Joohyun, staring out of the window. Jisoo and Jennie are there too, standing by having a chat while they wait for Joohyun to come to.

When the secretary saw her eyes open, she immediately called for the woman by the window, "Umma, unnies awake!"

Unnie? Who's unnie?

Joohyun's consciousness was not yet in the right as she stared confusedly at Yeri who then grabbed and pulled the woman by the arm to walk towards Joohyun's direction.

"Oh, my baby girl!" The woman stated as she pulled Joohyun for a hug but she scooted away from her, now completely puzzled.

Her head turned towards Jisoo's direction but her eyes still suspiciously trained over the woman who strikingly resembles her, "Jisoo?"

She called out for her fellow analyst and the younger woman immediately went by her side.

"Hey, Irene-unnie! How are you? Does your head hurt?" Jisoo began inspecting her all over but Joohyun shook her head.

"What happened?"

Jennie answered for her, "Secretary Kim told us you passed out and the doctor told us you had a panic attack, so we called for an ambulance to take you to the nearest hospital."

A panic attack?

"And who is with us?"

The woman quickly invaded her space but she defensively put her arms up, making the stranger frown before sighing.

"Hyun-ah, don't you remember me?"

Hyun-ah.

Huh, she hadn't heard of that nickname in years, not after...

Not after her mother left her to suffer with her father.

Her eyes widened in realization, finally remembering that she met her mother again after what felt like forever with a different last name and a different daughter.

"Oh," She uttered, eyeing the hopeful looking woman whose hands are clasped together, smiling at her.

"I finally found you!" She exclaimed again but Joohyun held a hand up to stop her from invading her personal space again, discomfort clear on her features.

Joohyun cleared her throat, "Hello, mother."

Kim Sora's smile vanished quickly, "Baby, how are you? I've been looking for you! And how lucky that your sister Yerim worked on the same company as you!"

"Let's not go into detail, shall we? Jisoo, Jennie, we're going back to the company." She removed the thin hospital covers from her but she was stopped by Jennie herself, as her arm pushed Joohyun back to the bed and then Jisoo draped the sheet back on her body.

"Talk to her, unnie. Please," The new analyst pleaded and Joohyun looked reluctant at first before she turned to the woman who abandoned her when she was a young girl.

"Good, so now we'll let you talk by yourse-"

Before Jisoo could finish her sentence, Joohyun's hand shot out and gripped her on the arm with eyes full of panic, "Stay," she croaked out and Jisoo immediately understood.

She does not know whom she'll turn to when things don't go the right way.

So, Jisoo nodded and then made a motion of staying but pulled Jennie to sit back on the chairs to at least provide enough space for the daughters and mother.

Kim Sora sat on the bed by Joohyun's legs and then began to talk.

"Joohyun, I'm sorry for ever leaving you with your father. I was... I was scared, honey."

Joohyun bristled at the excuse, "So you left your young daughter to suffer on her own physically and mentally!?"

"What did your father do!?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe he almost killed me and I would have been six feet under already if not for Seulgi!"

Her mother's eyes widened, her lips trembling as she lamented her daughter's suffering. 

"Seulgi? Is she the wife your sister mentioned?"

Joohyun began to put two in two together. Somehow, her mother remarried hence the last name and had another daughter, which was Yeri therefore making them half sisters.

Ha! Such a crazy turn of events! 

Joohyun wished Seulgi is beside her right now, because that woman would've provided Joohyun every support she needed even if she just stood beside her, not speaking a word. Her mere presence calms Joohyun, and she wants her wife with her right now.

"Yes, but that's not important right now. What matters is why you decided to come back into my life when I would have been fine being without a mother!"

The gasp from Sora and Yeri's mouth were audible as Sora began bursting into tears so Yeri immediately walked to her side, comforting their mother as she wiped her tears.

A part of Joohyun felt guilty for the outburst and wanted to say her apologies then comfort her mother but a part of her still resents the woman and does not want to see her face anymore. A war is going on with her mind when the young secretary broke her thoughts.

"Unnie, I won't blame you for resenting our mother," She walked towards Joohyun and placed a card with a number of who she suspcted was Sora's, "But please reconsider? It was my fault anyway for rushing her into meeting you."

She helped their mother get up before saying one last thing to Joohyun, "Please, just one chance unnie. One chance and we won't bother you ever again if you decided to. We'll be taking our leave now."

Joohyun did not respond, eyes glued on the card.

• • •

She did pick up her cell, but opted to dial a different person.

After two rings, the woman on the other side decided to respond, "Yes, hello?"

"Hey Seungwan, would you like to have coffee with me this weekend? My treat."

"It depends."

Joohyun raised a brow, "Depends on what?"

"Can I bring someone with me?"

Eh, there's no harm in that.

"Sure, I'll send you the address."

"Great! Sooyoung and I will be seeing you in a few days, unnie!"

Sooyoung? Park Sooyoung!?

• • •

Seungwan pursed her lips at the troubled looking older woman in front of her, exchanging looks with her girlfriend, Sooyoung. They only haven't seen each other in a month and yet she looked like she aged for years!

"Remind me again why the two of us are right now, first, having coffee with you, when you don't even like coffee and second, why are you looking like you lost your childhood pet?"

The junior analyst slumped on her chair lifelessy actualy made Sooyoung snicker, "She looks dead." She whispered to Seungwan who shook her head in amusement.

"I did not lose my pet, I never had one," Joohyun pouted, "But I lost my wife."

"You say that as if she was not in France for only a month," Seungwan chukled, "She'll be back before you know it, unnie."

"But I want her here right now!" The almost feral woman made the couple laugh at her purchase.

"Calm down, calm down now. What happened?"

Joohyun went back to her sulking, "I found Sunmi in her office, sucking her face off and we fought, in front of the staff of the company!" Joohyun growled out to herself, lamenting her problem.

"Sunmi?" Sooyoung asked, exchanging worried glances with Seungwan, "Her psycho ex?"

Joohyun raised a brow, "She's a bitch but pyscho? I'm not really sure."

Seungwan took a sip from her steaming coffee before clearing her throat, "Sunmi was Seulgi's first and only ex. She was manipulative and even managed to take as much money as she can from Seulgi, convincing her somehow, that it was what she should compensate with given that Seulgi was busy during those times, setting up her scholarship program. the last straw was when she caught Sunmi cheating on the act."

Joohyun woefully groaned, her guilt beginning to eat her up again, "Great, I'm a grade A asshole to my wife who had been nothing but too kind to me. I'm ready to jump off a cliff."

Seungwan smirked, "And Seulgi will dive after you."

Cause you both are that stupidly in love.

But of course Seungwan did not say it, afraid to experience the wrath of Kang Joohyun.

A few minutes of silence fell upon them as they enjoyed their slices of cake, before Joohyun spoke up again. 

"I met my mother a few days ago."

Seungwan's jaw dropped, "But didn't she like, leave you when you were a young girl? Why now?"

"I don't know either," Joohyun stirred her cup of hot chocolate, remembering how this is her and Seulgi's favorite go-to drink.

Damn, she's sure nobody misses someone as much as she missed her wife.

"But she told me she finally found me, I don't understand," Joohyun shrugged, "It took a lot of strength for me to accept that I'll grow up motherless and now she just comes barging into my life as if she did not abandon me to fend for myself."

"Wow, that's a lot to take in, I get where you're coming from," Sooyoung took a sip from her latté, "What's your mother's name by the way?"

"Kim Sora."

Suddenly, her ice cold coffee spewed out from her mouth, as Joohyun dodged the coffee spray as it landed on the space beside her, Sooyoung carelessly wiping it, and Seungwan even offering her a tissue, "Kim Sora!? As in the Kim Sora!?"

Everyone at the café looked at their way from her loud outburst which the tall woman quickly returned with a burning look as a warning to mind their business before leaning over the table, eyes trained on Joohyun predatorily.

Joohyun was weirded out by the model's actions, "Uh, yes?"

"Hold on," Seungwan held a finger up before opening her phone to look the woman up and then turning the phone to show visual to Joohyun, "This Kim Sora?"

Joohyun looked at the phone before nodding her confirmation, "Yeah, that's her." 

Sooyoung almost screamed but her girlfriend quickly muffled her mouth with a hand, "Sorry, Sooyoungie here is just a huge fan of your mom."

"Is that so?" Joohyun asked.

Sooyoung licked the hand on her lips and Seungwan quickly retracted her hand as if she was electrocuted, "Ew!"

"Shut up, I don't hear you complaining when you were swallowing my spit last night."

Joohyun immediately burned at the statement. Where is this woman's filter?

"Kim Sora happened to be one of the best fashion designers out there. If I'm winning in Korea, then she is the champion all over the world. Her works are recognized both locally and internationally so yes, she's my role model," Sooyoung puffed her chest out, "Anyway, do you have her number? Is there a chance you can connect me to her?"

"The last time I checked, we're not on speaking terms."

"Unnie! You better go talk to he-!"

Seungwan immediately gave a small punch on her girlfriend's stomach to shush her loud mouth. Any minute now, and they're about to kicked out from the café.

"Joohyun-unnie, you're confused right?" Seungwan asked, and Joohyun nodded in agreement so she grinned widely, "Then all I can advise you is to talk to your umma. Only she holds the answers to your questions."

Joohyun looked reluctant, "I don't think I'm ready to face her yet."

"And that's fine," Seungwan snaked an arm around Sooyoung's eyes, noticing Joohyun's jealousy over the gesture, "We're not in a rush. After all, you met someone who you accepted as not a part of your life anymore. Think about it, unnie. You'll get the closure you need and maybe if you can work things out, you might even reconcile."

Joohyun nodded, Seungwan's right that damn genius lawyer.

"You're looking to ask for Seulgi-unnie's forgiveness, right?" Sooyoung asked, leaning into her girlfriend's side, "Then I think you should start first by learning how to forgive your umma."

Joohyun looked thoughtful for a moment before a nervous smile began making its way to her lips, nodding. How can these two be younger than her but wiser?

She looked at the two women across her who looked so perfect for each other.

"You look so perfect together," She commented to which the two denied easily.

"No relationship is perfect, unnie. We just fought over who gets to drive the car a few hours prior so we decided to drive here in our own cars." 

Joohyun giggled at the ridiculous agrument, "Okay, I stand to be corrected."

"Now, Sooyoungie over here is whining because she can't feel me up while I drive 'cause I am in another car," Seungwan chuckled and Joohyun looked scandalized.

"TMI! TMI!" She exclaimed.

"Stop acting as if you and Seulgi-unnie haven't done anything yet!" Sooyoung wiggled a finger in front of her face which she slapped away, cheeks red.

"That's because we haven't been there yet," Joohyun shyly admitted.

Seungwan snorted, "The month-long separation should be enough for you two to crave each other." She giggled.

"Okay, stop stop! I don't want to talk about that anymore," Joohyun reprimanded, "But thank you for being here with me even though I hurt your friend."

"Hey," Seungwan leaned over the table to give Joohyun a pat on the arm, "You're our friend now, too. We need an unnie in this circle."

Joohyun grinned, "All right. I'll think about your advise."

Sooyoung nodded in agreement, "You better, cause this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get in touch with my favorite fashion designer."

"Who told you I'm introducing you to her?"

Sooyoung pinched her cackling girlfriend from the teasing she got from Joohyun.

• • •

It took her days upon days before she mustered up the courage and dial the number written on the card which she had been unconsciously bringing with her everywhere she went.

Joohyun sat on her and Seulgi’s bed, phone on her right hand and the key to her answers in the other. Facing the woman who was supposed to be protecting you from harm but rather ran away is something she is quiet unsure if she was ready.

But she thinks she will never be ready unless she talks to her.

Slowly inputting the digits, she raised the cell to her ear and waited for the call to get accepted. Each ring gives her the anticipation when finally, the call was picked up.

“Hello, this is Kim Sora speaking.” The voice she had never thought she’ll hear from again just a few days ago rang through her mind.

Truthfully, she missed that voice.

With a shaky breath, Joohyun answered, “Mother, it’s Joohyun.”

She could hear the gasp before barking out order after order to what she assumed her staff to clear her office before she went back to Joohyun again, “I’ve been waiting for you, Hyun-ah,” Her mother spoke out, before sitting on her chair.

Joohyun carefully thought of Seungwan’s words.

She has to be capable of forgiving before asking for someone else’s forgiveness.

“Can we meet up?”

In an instant, her mother replied, “Yes!”

Joohyun nodded, but forgot that her mother cannot see her, but the older woman beat her into speaking, “How would you like to visit me at my home?”

“I…” Would that be okay? “I think that would be fine.”

“Great! Then I’ll send you the address and let me know when you’ll be coming over!” The other woman exclaimed, and Joohyun pulled the phone away from her ear to read the text containing the details of her address.

“Hyun-ah?”

“Yes?”

The nerves Joohyun is going through vanished as she smiled when her mother said, “I’m so glad you called me.”

• • •

When Taeyong parked the car in front of a huge gate, Joohyun had a hard time keeping her mouth shut in awe. The luxurious silver gates lead to a beautiful and well-kept garden and behind it stood tall a mansion.

This is how rich her mother is now?

Two months ago, Joohyun barely got by and now she’s married to a billionaire and found out that her mother is also now a filthy rich fashion designer.

A young man in a uniform who she assumed to be a butler waited for her in front of the gates to welcome her.

With a bow, he introduced himself, “Good afternoon, milady. I’m Lucas, glad to be of your service,” He gestured to the mansion, “Shall we?”

Joohyun nodded as the man lead the way, and the closer they get, the more the mansion looked bigger until they were in the front door. Opening it for her, Joohyun thanked the butler and was left alone to walk towards the living room. Everything looked so expensive, from the marbled pillars to the ivory staircase that led to the second floor and the rich wood of the floor, Joohyun was afraid to touch anything, so she awkwardly stood in one place, gathering the sight of her surroundings.

From the kitchen, Sora emerged as she welcomed Joohyun, “Hyun-ah!” She said before pulling her daughter for a hug which made Joohyun stiffen on the spot.

This did not go unnoticed by Sora so she let go of her immediately, chuckling awkwardly, “Tea?”

Once they were at on the spacious sofas across each other with a coffee table occupied by steaming tea in between them, Sora smiled to her daughter.

It has been so long since she had seen her daughter and my, she had grown to be just as beautiful as she imagined.

“Thank you for taking the time to come here,” Sora said, as she offered to pour the tea for her daughter.

“I would like to apologize for my behavior the day before,” Joohyun lowered her head, playing with her fingers awkwardly but Sora quickly declined her apology.

“Nonsense! You’re already forgiven,” She laughed, “I get the hostility, I am a bad mother after all.”

Joohyun went silent, but then Sora cleared her throat, “You must be full of questions right now.”

She nodded, “Why did you leave me?”

Sora took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before reopening them, “I told you, I was scared,” She rubbed her thumb on the smooth porcelain of the teacup, “Right before I left you, I caught your father with another woman.”

Joohyun nodded, urging for her to continue.

“I have been stupid and careless when I decided to run away because I thought your father loved you enough not to hurt you, but I was wrong,” She exhaled, “Right after, I was diagnosed with depression so I had to stay in a rehab facility for six months.”

Joohyun gingerly inhaled the aroma of the tea in her grasp.

“Each day I spent on therapy, I anticipated the day I get to take you away from your father but I know I wasn’t mentally stable to take care of you.”

Joohyun settled her lips in a thin line, trying not to break in front of her mother. For years, Joohyun believed that her mother has been selfish and she wished she was dead, not knowing she was suffering herself too all along.

“By the time I was clear to go, I contacted a lawyer to back me up and fight for your custody but I was too late. A different family greeted me at the door.”

Right, Joohyun and her father moved away right after Sora left because of her father’s fixation to erase his ran away wife’s memory from their lives. Somehow, she suspected that her father knew that his ex-wife will be back to take away their daughter from him.

“I was devastated, to say the least. I haven’t a clue in the slightest where my daughter is!” She sipped from her tea, “Then I met a man named Kim Doseok, a businessman, fell in love and so I remarried. We had Yerim, your sister a year later and with her birth, I decided to begin launching my clothing line which was successful, thankfully,” She put down the now empty tea cup.

“Hyun-ah,” She said with so much sincerity and sadness, “There was never a day I haven’t thought and stopped looking for you.”

And the dam behind Joohyun’s lids finally broke down as she silently let the tears fall. She could say the same when Sora walked to her and dropped herself beside her before engulfing her in the comforting embrace of a mother.

How Joohyun missed this.

Sniffling, she returned the embrace as she sobbed on her mother’s shoulder, the woman rubbing her back as she let go of all the frustration and anger she felt all these years.

After a few minutes, her sobs began dying down as she wiped them gingerly. Fat lot of good that crying session did, Joohyun noted as she felt like a huge burden has been lifted off of her shoulders.

“Enough about me,” Sora pulled her hand in her own and rubbed the back of Joohyun’s palm with her thumb, “How have you been? I’m dying to know about you.”

Joohyun chuckled, “Where should I start?”

“From the beginning.”

“I worked as a waitress before,” Joohyun said, rubbing her mother’s hand back before raising her head to meet her gaze. Damn, they really looked alike, “But on one particular night, father had been way too drunk and inebriated to care. I talked back to him and the next thing I know, he was choking me to death.”

Sora gasped, eyes widening at the suffering her daughter went through but Joohyun ignored her reaction. She was glad Seulgi was there that night, “But Seulgi was there to save me from him. She made sure that father was taken care of and took me in even though she barely knew me.”

“Well, I must thank her for saving you, then.” Sora grinned.

“I’m also grateful for her. We got married a few days later and it’s not the kind of marriage I dreamed of,” She leaned into the sofa, “It was rushed but it was beautiful and Seulgi made sure I’m into it a hundred percent.”

“You mean, you got married before dating?”

“Yes,” Joohyun sighed, “But I don’t regret it one bit. We married each other because Seulgi cannot inherit the company unless she gets married.”

Sora’s lips trembled, “But do you love her?”

Joohyun’s eyes widened in realization. She had never asked herself that, maybe because she was already way too comfortable in what she and Seulgi has, she did not bother labelling her feelings for her younger wife.

Does she really love Seulgi?

“I think I do.”

Sora squealed excitedly before pulling Joohyun again for another hug, craving the act of affection for so long, “My baby girl is such a grown-up now!”

“I’m twenty-six, mother. And besides, Seulgi and I fought and she gave me space for a month. A month!” Joohyun sulked, “And everything’s my fault.”

“Nonsense, you’re still my baby Hyun-ah,” Sora brushed her off, “But indeed, a month is too long. Where is she now?”

“In France.”

“I see,” Sora nodded, “Have you tried calling her to ask for forgiveness?”

Joohyun shook her head, “I wanted to, but she told me she’ll give me space.”

Sora laughed, “But is it space you want?”

They were silent for a minute, Joohyun’s mind befuddled by the question. Does she really want space? Does she really want her wife to stay away from her for this long?

Of course not.

She felt like dying spending her morning routine by herself, going to work by herself and going to bed by herself. Joohyun is now used to eating breakfast with Seulgi, driving to work with Seulgi, having lunch with Seulgi, going back home with Seulgi and lastly, sleeping beside Seulgi. Their bed had been far too cold for Joohyun, greatly missing the presence of Seulgi’s warmth.

“No.”

“Then there’s the answer to your problems.”

Joohyun’s eye twitched before she stood up hastily, “I have to go,” She quickly gathered her things as she dialed Taeyong to wait for her by the gates, her mother helping her in sliding her coat on.

“Come by any time you want, I already told the staff to let you in.” Sora said as she brushed off imaginary dust from her daughter’s coat.

“I will.”

Sora grinned widely, “Go get your girl.”

Before Joohyun could walk out of the doors, she called out for Sora one more time.

“Umma?”

Sora looked at her, waiting for her to speak when Joohyun craned her neck to her.

“I forgive you.”

• • •

So here Joohyun is now, once again on her and Seulgi’s bed, lying down. She ate dinner with Taeyeon first and then got ready for bed, slipping on Seulgi’s hoodie again before she settled on the middle of the huge bed. Her thumb is almost aching now for the prolonged time of it hovering over Seulgi’s name on her contacts.

It felt like it took half of her energy to press Seulgi’s number and for her to raise it to her ears.

“Joohyun?”

And it felt like a breath of fresh air, a weight from her shoulders alleviated and a relief she never knew she needed, “Hi,” She said breathlessly.

“Why are you calling? Is something the matter?”

“Yes,” She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, “I want you back home.”

“But Taeyeon-unnie told me I need to give you-”

“I don’t care what Taeyeon-unnie said,” She interrupted her wife, “Please come back home to me.” Joohyun helplessly pleaded.

“But it’s only been two weeks!” Seulgi protested, she really is adamant to follow Taeyeon’s orders of keeping herself away from Joohyun to give her time to think.

“It has been torture for me knowing we left things unsolved,” She chuckled wetly, feeling her throat clog up from tears, “I am such a jerk to you.”

“No, don’t call yourself that,” Seulgi said but Joohyun let out a weak whimper.

“But I am, Seulgi-yah. I hate myself for hurting you and not even listening to your explanation!”

“Joohyun, you did not know.”

“Stop making it look like it was not my fault for this! Please, come back home so that I can apologize and make it up to you properly.”

“Two weeks more, Joohyun. Then I’ll be back home before you know it.”

“I miss you,” Joohyun whispered, but Seulgi heard it as clear as glass, “You know, I’m having a hard time sleeping by myself these days.”

Seulgi did not respond, waiting for Joohyun to continue.

“So I stole one of your hoodies and slept in it every night ever since you left. I just hope I’ll make it alive for another two weeks I am without you,”

“Ah, I almost forgot that you get cold easily,” Seulgi laughed.

“I do, so please come back home to me.”

• • •

It was in the middle of the night when Taeyeon began shaking Joohyun's body to rouse her from her slumber.

Since she was a light sleeper, she opened one eye to look at Taeyeon, "What's wrong?"

Taeyeon pulled her to sit up, "It's Seulgi."

Suddenly all the drowsiness she felt left her, "She's here?"

"No, but she will be," Taeyeon began going through their closet to pick out some clothes for Joohyun, "Go take a quick shower so you can pick your wife up at the airport."

"But she didn't tell me she's going home."

Taeyeon threw the pants and jacket on the bed, "She didn't tell me either. Her assistant informed me that she rushed off and booked a flight."

"Her assistant? How come you're talking to her assistant?"

The housekeeper walked opened the door to exit, "She's my wife."

So now here Joohyun is, sitting on one of the cafés inside the airport, waiting for her wife by looking around the waiting area to find at least a glimpse of brown hair that belonged to Seulgi to locate her.

Seulgi told her that she won't be home for another two weeks, so picture her surprise when she had to be informed by Taeyeon that her wife will be going back home when she just called her yesterday. Does it mean that Seulgi actually wanted to fulfill Joohyun's wish of going back to Seoul?

Joohyun felt slightly guilty for that brash phone call she made, who knows Seulgi might still be busy but needed to rush home because of Joohyun's spoilt self.

Then, she saw the unmistakingly caramel-colored hair, as she quickly scrambled up and then sprinted towards her wife whose back was turned to her.

"Seulgi-yah," She called out, and Seulgi turned.

She looked sick. Her younger wife was dressed in a suit like always and wore a coat but her eyes were bloodshot and her nose slightly red.

"Joohyun?" She croaked out but before she could say anything else, she stumbled slightly so Joohyun quickly took the steps to catch her before she meets the floor.

"You're back." She murmured, and Seulgi looked at her with that stupid grin of hers, returning the embrace.

"Hearing your voice made me realize how much I missed it," She groggily replied, her eyes half closed.

Joohyun felt for her forehead and gasped at the hot feel of it, "You're hot!"

Seulgi giggled, "Thanks."

Joohyun blushed but shook of her thoughts immediately, right now she has a feverish wife to take care of who is possibly delirious from the fever.

She gathered Seulgi's baggage up from the conveyor belt and then let her lean her weight on her.

Once they were back in the penthouse, it took her a while before she could take Seulgi to bed who dropped on it unceremoniously but not before she circled her arms around Joohyun's waist therefore letting her drop on Seulgi's chest as the taller woman rumbled in contempt.

"Come on now Seulgi-yah, you need to let go of me so that I can change your clothes."

"Noooo!" Seulgi whined, gripping Joohyun even tighter than before, "Don't leave me."

Joohyun sighed, before conceding and resting her head on Seulgi's chest, listening to her heartbeat. Goddamn, does she miss being in her wife's embrace. She wanted to indulge but she can't let her wife sleep in those uncomfortable work attire.

"Seulgi-yah, have you taken any medicine?" 

Seulgi looked so adorable looking at the ceiling, trying to remember.

"Medicine? What do I need medicine for?"

Oh, she is not even aware that she's sick. That gave Joohyun the answer she needed.

"Honey, you have fever. Listen, I have to leave the room," The groan of protest from Seulgi made her smile, "To cook you a soup and I'll be back as soon as I can. How does that sound?"

Seulgi frowned but reluctantly began loosening her arms around Joohyun with a weak fine as the older woman kissed her on the forehead for assurance.

Within minutes, she managed to whip up a bowl of a simple chicken and vegetable soup which she knew Seulgi will avoid eating the veggies. Once she entered the room, she saw Seulgi slumped clumsily on the bed with her limbs spread like a starfish, unconscious.

"Oh no no no, not yet," She shook Seulgi to wake her up but the CEO swatted her hand off with a whine, "Wake up Seulgi-yah, I cooked you something," She whispered to her ear.

With a twitch, the feverish woman slowly opened her eyes, "Ah, my Joohyunnie," She giggled motioning for Joohyun to join her on the bed but she raised a finger up in a no.

"You need to eat so that you can drink your medicine."

"Medicine? That tastes disgusting!"

God, Seulgi acts like a child when they're together but she is worse when sick.

Joohyun gave her one look and Seulgi quickly sat up so fast her world spinned, "Careful!" Joohyun said before propping up some pillows and then began feeding Seulgi the soup. Thankfully, the sick woman did not protest much anymore.

"You idiot," Joohyun began, "I told you I want you back home but not in a state like this."

Seulgi scowled, arms crossed like a toddler, "But I miss you so much!"

"Believe me, I do too. But risking your health is not good."

"I'm not sick!"

Joohyun shook her head, "Whatever you say."

"I wanted to see you because those two weeks of not seeing you had been torture," The spoon stopped halfway into the air, "I found my cousin's ex girlfriend sooner than I expected but had opted to stay in France to keep my promise to Taeyeon-unnie to give me and you some time and space to think. Walking along the streets of Paris made me always think of you, how you told me once that you wanted to travel all over Europe. So I thought that I never needed that space, because everyday I'm still stuck thinking about you. Baby, separation only made me suffer. The next time I leave, I'm taking you with me." 

Joohyun almost dropped the spoon at the confession, feeling tears welling up in her eyes.

Damn, she had been crying too much these days.

But then Seulgi reverted back to her childish stupor again, "Now feed me that damn delicious soup."

Joohyun chuckled wetly, sniffing but continued to feed Seulgi. When the CEO's stomach has been sated, she went to the bathroom to fetch some aspirin pills before going back to their bedroom. Seulgi patiently waited for her, as Joohyun walked around the room her eyes trained on her only, gathering things she needed. 

She helped Seulgi in drinking the meds and then wiped her face with a wet cloth to remove all the dirt and make up before helping her into a pair of nightwear.

Once they were settled on the bed, Joohyun sneaked a peck on Seulgi's lips but Seulgi let out a noise of disapproval.

"What?"

"I'm sick, you might get the bacteria passed to you."

Joohyun raised a brow, "Now you're sick?"

"Joohyun!"

Joohyun cackled before pulling the burning woman for a spooning session, this time Joohyun being the big spoon, "Then you'll nurse me back to health."

"Ya betcha, I will."

Seulgi turned her body and then sneaked her warm nose into Joohyun's neck.

"Damn, I love you."

Joohyun froze, but then thought that maybe Seulgi is still delirious and does not know what she's saying.

"Seulgi-yah, you're sick."

"Exactly, I'm sick not lying."


End file.
